With Summer drawing to a slow close, I’ve been looking back on the past three months and appreciating everything that I’ve loved, used (and actually not used at all) from my wardrobe. I mentioned in this blog post how I have lived in my pair of the Birkenstock Arizona Eva sandals, and today I wanted to talk a little bit about why I’ve loved them so much, and why I’m so happy that I took a step into the Birkenstock market.
Over the past few years, I’ve slowly integrated more and more into wearing slides. In fact, I’ve practically lived in this £10 pair that I picked up from ASOS a Summer or two ago, all the way until I picked up these Birkenstocks. To me, getting home from work and kicking off your shoes to a pair of sandals is part and parcel of the dream *hahaha*. I’m also partial to socks with ‘stocks (but that might be a little too controversial for this blog post).
One of the aspects that I love the most about the Birkenstock Eva is that they have grooves especially designed into the shoes that form with your feet. Meaning that you get extra support and relaxation because your shoes are actually designed for you.
The Bedding In Process
Like every pair of shoes, there was a bit of a bedding or breaking in process. Straight out the box my pair were a little hard, and over the first few days there was a bit of discomfort in getting the shoes to perfectly form to my feet. As well as that, the side straps did cause me a bit of rubbing, but only in the same way that the back of a new pair of shoes would on your feet. I just threw on some blister plasters for the first week, and once that was over they’ve been more comfortable than ever.
You might be wondering if there was discomfort and rubbing, why did I stick it out? Well, after all the rave reviews you see online from Birkenstocks, I was sure that after I had broken the shoes in they would be more comfortable than ever, and I’m so glad that I stuck to it because I was absolutely right.
Right now the shoes feel like walking on little clouds. And I have a feeling that they’re just going to get even more comfortable as time goes on.
The Fit and Size
For my pair of Birkenstock Eva shoes, I went for the all-black. I also picked up my regular size 7, and they fit true to size. Birkenstocks sell their shoes either in narrow or wide fit, but the pair I picked up from ASOS was listed as ‘regular’ and they’ve been fantastic with my feet.
The Arizona Eva comes in a whole host of colours: black (the pair I picked up!), white (the colour I wanted but knew I couldn’t pull off #damnpastyskin), grey, blue, light blue, yellow, copper, pink – so on and so forth. You can check out all the available colour ways right here. The shoes also retail for £30, which is half the price of traditional Birkenstock Milanos (which I’m eyeing up for next Summer… ). So it’s a great way to step into the Birkenstock market and see if their shoes are right for you.
Birkenstock Arizona Eva shoes are also vegan, and 100% free of animal products. So if you’re looking for a comfortable pair of shoes that are cruelty free, I’d definitely recommend picking up those.