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Fitting Tips and Guidelines
General Birkenstock Fitting Guidelines Place your heel within the heelcup. Your foot should fit inside the edges of the shoe with enough extra length (up to ΒΌ") for movement while walking. The contours of the footbed should follow the curves of your feet. The raised arches might feel unusual at first, but the arches will feel less pronounced as the cork/latex footbed conforms to your foot. Special Fitting Tip for Sandals When fitting sandals, the strap closest to your toes should feel snug. The other straps should allow your heel to lift slightly off the footbed while walking. Special Fitting Tip for Shoes and Clogs Slip the removable footbed from the shoe. To determine whether your shoe is the correct length and width, stand on the footbed and inspect the fit. Toes should not hang over the edge and the arches should follow the contours of your feet. Reinsert the footbed into the shoe. If the shoe appears to be the correct length and width and still feels "too big" or "too small," the problem is probably not related to the size, but to the volume of the shoe (see discussion below). Special Fitting Tip for Kids Footwear We find that most kids feet are best suited for the "Narrow" widths. The "Regular" sizes are best suited for wider feet. Volume Volume refers to the space that surrounds your foot. High volume footwear feels loose around the toes and instep, while low volume footwear often feels snug. To reduce the volume of a shoe for a better fit, we recommend Birko-cell foam spacers, which are removable insoles that fit underneath the footbed. Spacers are especially helpful for certain styles like the Super Birki Clog. Volume varies from style to style, as do the wearer's volume tolerances. We recommend choosing a shoe that allows your foot enough room to easily wiggle your toes and instep. How to Break in Birkenstock Footbeds Birkenstock footwear works its magic by supporting your arches, which reduces the strain on the muscles of the foot. It takes a couple weeks for your footprint to personalize the cork footbed. Start the break-in process by wearing the sandals with socks for 30-minute intervals for a few days until the cork starts to change shape. You can increase the amount of wearing time each day. |