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May marks the one year anniversary since I started my “I Love Birkenstocks” blog.  Happy 1st Birthday to my "I Love Birkenstocks" Blog In the past year my love for Birkenstocks has grown and I have been able to connect with other Birkenstock wearers on many different social media platforms. While I do enjoy talking Birks with other enthusiasts, I do not enjoy the unsolicited emails, photos, comments and messages from people with foot fetishes. That is not what this blog is about. My blog is about all things that I love about the Birkenstock Brand.  This blog is about all things Birkenstock, not about my feet While I appreciate social media making it easy for me to block people with fetishes from my account, I do not like there is no firewall to prevent it from happening in the first place. I am not getting paid to blog and I do not have to put up with offensive and degrading remarks from social media trolls. I blog because I want to connect with other good people who like Birkenstocks. Not because I am fishing for foot compliments. I have been using Instagram and Facebook to promote my blog. But, I have been getting so much unwanted communication from non Birkenstock wearers with foot fetishes, that I have decided to take a social media break. I have temporarily disabled my Instagram Account and am considering doing the same for Facebook.  My Instagram Account is temporarily disabled I plan to allow Google searches to bring the correct demographic to my page. Google has been doing an incredible job thus far.
My blog will remain active. If you would like to get notifications about new blog posts then I recommend you sign up for my newsletter. The last few seasons Birkenstock has introduced sandals made with metallic leather uppers. The uppers are super pretty and very feminine. They look fantastic in person. Match every type of outfit imaginable. And I am never buying another pair of Birkenstocks with smooth metallic leather! Yes, you read that correctly. Gina Mama is not going to buy another pair of Birkenstocks with shiny metallic leather uppers until Birkenstock figures out how to minimize the scratching of the finish. The biggest problem I have is that these amazing looking Birkenstocks scratch and scuff so easily, that within a few wears, they appear completely beat up. I take good care of all my Birkenstocks. Yet the wear is extremely noticeable no matter how much I baby my shoes. I have a pair of Birkenstocks with metallic leather uppers from a previous season and these seem to scratch more easily compared to more recent models that I have purchased. The older model that I have tends to crinkle up and appear almost foil like once broken in. It looks like the finish on the uppers wants to peel off.  These Birkenstocks were worn on occasion in the Summer/Fall of 2016  Even though I take good care of my Birkenstock they look beat up In addition, the scratches and scuffs are so visible on these shoes that I am embarrassed to wear them anymore in public. I considered re-selling them on Poshmark, but I do not think anyone would want to buy them looking the way that they do.  Would anyone want to buy shoes on Poshmark that are this beat up? The scratches on this finish do not polish away or rub off like one can rub out a scratch on oiled leather uppers. Rather, a blemish cuts directly through the entire finish leaving a dent and a crease noticeable to the naked eye.  Blemishes cut directly through the finish Sometimes the shoes are scratched up in the box because they have moved around during shipment. I had to send one pair back before I could even try them on because there were scuff marks on the shoes from not being properly wrapped in tissue paper. The buckles of one shoe messed up the uppers on the other shoe. Speaking of buckles, the finish gets marked up simply by one adjusting the strap of the shoe. Once you decide how you want to adjust your Birkenstock straps, do not plan on readjusting them. If you do, you are left with scuff marks under strap.
What can you do to fix the uppers once they are marked up? Not much. I tried to find a matching color of nail polish for one pair of shoes. I used a fine paint brush to apply the polish to the scratched area. It made the mark look even worse because the polish was thicker than the finish of the upper. Fortunately, a dab of nail polish remover wiped away the polish without damaging the uppers even more.
I emailed customer service at Birkenstock USA to inquire, what, if any suggestions they have in regards to caring for the metallic leather uppers. I sent the message on April 26, 2017 and have yet to hear back. I know that I am not the only one that has issues with scratches and scuffs on Metallic Leather Uppers. I have asked around to people I know that wear Birkenstocks as well as retailers of the shoe. Most know that this is a problem and none are willing to experiment with the uppers for fear of exasperating the problem. As much as I love how this finish looks, I am not buying another pair until Birkenstock fixes this problem!! I will stick with oiled leather Birkenstocks where I can simply rub out marks in the leather with my finger. Or, I will purchase Birko Flor uppers as they are extremely durable and very rarely get scratched. Sadly, my Birkenstocks with a metallic finish may end up being a one season shoe. This type of upper is certainly not up to the quality of my other Birkenstocks. I can wear another Birkenstock upper for years before it becomes unsightly. I know that I can get Birkenstock footbeds recrafted, oh how I wish I could get the darn shiny metallic uppers recrafted too!! Birkenstock, PLEASE, tell me what I can do to make these uppers look presentable again. I have a pair of coveted metallic leather copper Arizonas with brown soles (not white soles!) sitting in their box in my closet. I bought them months ago and do not want to wear them because I do not want them to get ruined. Readers, what techniques have you found to help repair scratches and scuffs on your metallic uppers? Shoot me an email and let me know what has worked for you. I would love to share your results in a future blog post. I am a born and raised Bay Area girl who proudly wears Birkenstocks. One thing that I love as much as my Birkenstocks are the San Francisco Giants. I am a longtime Birkenstock wearer and a lifelong Giants fan. I remember watching games at Candlestick Park in the freezing cold. One of my most memorable moments as a kid, was touching Will Clark’s hand when he autographed a baseball card for me. I was at home alone waiting for a World Series game to start between the Giants and A’s when the earthquake hit in 1989. I was at Pacbell Park (now AT&T park) when Barry Bonds hit his 500th home run against the Dodgers. One of my favorite pictures of me and husband was taken on the field at AT&T Park. In May 2016, we took my youngest kid to his first Giants game. It rained the entire day but that didn’t matter. In fact, on that rainy day I was wearing my Birkenstock Woodbury’s and my feet stayed warm and dry. I could go on and on, but all you need to know is that I bleed orange and black.  Birkenstock Woodbury on warning track at AT&T park As a lifetime Giants fan, I will never change my allegiance to my favorite baseball team. Even if I were to move out of state, I would remain a dedicated San Francisco Giants fan. It’s like Tony Bennett’s song, “I left my heart in San Francisco”. No matter where I am in the world, my heart will remain true to the orange and black. Just as I am a steadfast Giants fan, I am a Birkenstock loyalist. I love Birkenstocks so much that I started my blog to share this love with like minded individuals. People who know that I am a blogger often come up to me and suggest other brands of shoes that “I should” try. People send me emails or leave me comments on Facebook and Instagram about what brands “I should” try that are not Birkenstocks. I am dumbfounded by other peoples' well meaning, but unsolicited, advice. My blog is not titled “Help me find a shoe brand”, it is titled “I Love Birkenstocks" for a reason. Friends are suggesting that I try Keens, FitFlops, Danksos, and Fluevogs. Social media “friends” tell me to try Reefs, Olukais, and Naots. Those who have read all my blogs, know that I have tried Danskos, Keens, and Olukais. I feel like the people who are making these recommendations are the same people who have never tried on a pair of Birkenstocks. If they had, they would know how awesome Birkenstocks are and would likely be wearing them too. The only brand of shoe that transformed my life by eliminating foot and back discomfort is Birkenstock. Birkenstock shoes have been so life changing that I am no longer willing to try different brands of shoes. When people tell me “I should” try this brand or that shoe, it is almost as if they are asking me to become a Dodgers fan. IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN! For you East Coasters, it is like asking a Yankee fan to root for the Red Sox, or vice versa.  The Giants and the Dodgers rivalry is deeply rooted. I am such a devoted Giants fan that I will not even buy articles of clothing a certain shade of blue. Just a few months ago, I was curious about the limited edition soft footbed Birkenstock Gizeh. I went to a local store and when I saw it up close I knew I could not buy the shoe because, sadly, it was Dodger blue. You could never get me to buy an article of clothing in Dodger blue, just as you will never get me to try a different brand of shoe by telling me “I should”. When someone tells me “I should” try a certain type of shoe, I immediately feel a psychological response happening to me internally. I feel myself wanting to do the opposite. I know that my body will react to a perceived threat when someone tells me that “I should” do something. I feel as if my freedom to choose the type of shoe I want to wear is being threatened. The science behind this is outlined in Brehm’s (1966) Reactance Theory. Reactance can make an individual strengthen their own views or act in a way contrary to what is intended. Reactance is so powerful that Pearl Jam alludes to it in their song, “Corduroy,” with the lyrics “push me and I will resist.”  When someone tells me “I should” try Keens, Naots, Fitflops or any other type of shoe that is not a Birkenstock, that person is making me strengthen my allegiance to Birkenstocks. Thereby not wanting to try the brand that is being recommended. I have documented my experience with other brands of shoes in previous blogs. I have spent unknown amounts of money on different types of shoes, in my effort to find one that meets the needs of my feet. All of which were donated because they lacked peerless comfort and support.
Keens left my arches aching. Naots were too narrow. Danskos were a fall risk. Sauconys were my best friend until they discontinued my favorite model. Then, I was re-introduced to Birkenstocks and found my “sole” mate. For me, being a Birkenstock loyalist is like being a Giants fan. No matter what, I will never change my allegiance. When the Giants lost 100 games in 1985, I still rooted for them everyday. If Birkenstocks don’t remain in the fashion limelight, I am still going to wear them because they make my feet happy. What other shoe besides Birkenstocks mold to your feet and provide a custom fit? None. I believe that wearing Birkenstocks is the single most important thing you can do for your feet and it’s up to you whether or not you choose to wear them. If and when you decide to try a pair of Birkenstocks, I am confident that you will find a pair that will work for you. I am not telling anyone that they “should” wear Birkenstocks. So, please, stop telling me “I should” try other brands. I Love Birkenstocks and that’s why I started a blog dedicated to all things Birkenstock. Spring has Sprung and folks are getting their hands on the latest Birkenstock styles. Buyers are beginning to notice that the newest Birkenstocks no longer have that familiar yellow Birkenstock imprint on the footbed. In fact, many readers are asking if the Birkenstocks that they have received are fake because their shoes have a footbed with a black imprint. Birkenstock recently changed the color of the imprint, from yellow to black, on their original footbed shoes. The imprint of the soft footbed Birkenstocks remain blue. From what I gathered on my tour at Birkenstock USA, the color change on the original footbed is simply cosmetic. The black is more complimentary to the various colors of the Birkenstock uppers compared to yellow. Even though the new footbeds have the black impressions, you might still receive new Birkenstocks with the old yellow logo. What is even more confusing is that online pictures might show a shoe with one type of footbed, but you might receive the same shoe with a different colored logo. This happened to me when I ordered a pair of red Mayaris from Birkenstock USA. Their webpage advertised the red Mayari with the yellow logo on the footbed. However, I received the red Mayari with the new black logo. This is the picture of the Mayari online at Birkenstock USA  Image from Birkenstock USA's webpage has yellow logo This is the shoe that was shipped out to me:  Birkenstock that I received has a black logo Let me provide you with another example. I recently purchased two new pairs of Birkenstocks. I ordered a pair of black snake skin Mayaris directly from Birkenstock USA and ordered another pair of black leather Gizehs from Zappos. The Mayaris arrived with the black imprint on the footbed:  Birkenstock Mayari Black Snake Skin with Black Logo on Footbed The Gizehs arrived with the yellow imprint on the footbed:  Birkenstock Black Leather Gizeh with Yellow Logo on Footbed Both pairs of shoes are brand spanking new, the biggest difference is the color of the logo. If you take a closer look, you might also notice that the size and the footprint have switched positions. A third noticeable difference is that icon on the older footbed read “Brand Sole Leder”, whereas the new footbed has a logo without words.  Differences between the yellow and black logos on the footbeds As long as you bought your shoes through an authorized Birkenstock retailer, you should be getting the real deal. If you have other questions about "How To Spot Fake Birkenstocks", please refer to my previous blog post from May 23, 2016.
It is the middle of winter and there is a flash flood warning in effect for the Bay Area (again) today. I should probably be thinking about which pair of Frye boots I am going to wear to work. Or maybe I ought to consider wearing my Bean boots because of the expected deluge. But, the thought of wearing boots totally escaped me this morning after perusing the Birkenstock USA webpage. I was ecstatic to learn that Birkenstock has released some of their new Spring 2017 collection. I have been checking their webpage every so often in anticipation of this release. When I toured Birkenstock USA last September, I had the honor and the privilege of viewing this entire collection in person. At the time, there was one Birkenstock in that collection that I coveted: the Birkenstock Mayari in Pull Up Bordeaux.  Birkenstock Mayari in Pull Up Bordeaux In my opinion, every girl needs at least one pair of red Birkenstocks. I just happen to need a pair of red Birkenstocks in every model! Red was missing from my Mayari collection. I have a pair of Papillio Tabora’s in red snake skin leather that I purchased from Sandy’s Birkenstock Boutique. I love those red Taboras. In fact, the width of the Papillio’s are perfect for wide my feet. However, the Tabora lacks the adjustability of the upper strap. With the Mayari, one can adjust the top and bottom straps making it the perfect Birkenstock. I knew I had to add this red Mayari to my collection the moment I saw it. I was advised by the staff at Birkenstock USA to pre-order this particular shoe the moment it became available. It is a hot item and anticipated to sell out quickly. When I saw that this shoe was available in a 38 regular on Birkenstock’s webpage, I immediately snatched it up!! I was so excited that I had to wake up my husband to tell him the good news. He joked that I should probably order two pairs. One to wear and one to save as back up. I must admit that I did practice great restraint at five o'clock this morning. I was tempted to purchase the Birkenstock Arizona in Tango Red Patent as well. Look at this beauty:  Birkenstock Arizona Tango Red Patent Red. Patent. Birkenstock. Three of the most perfect words all mixed together to make a gorgeous shoe. The white sole looks lovely, but I know that it is a challenge to keep clean. I was willing to overlook the white soles until I realized that, sadly, these are only offered in Narrow width in the US.
Is it crazy to order a pair of sandals in the middle of a big storm? I don’t think so. I am just giving myself plenty of time to break them in before Spring arrives! After all, those of us who wear Birkenstocks know all about the break-in process. A girl can never have too many red shoes or too many Birkenstocks. I Love all my (red) Birkenstocks!! What color Birkenstocks do you covet? Send me a message, I would love to hear from you. |
Gina Mama
Birkenstock blogger since 2016. Archives
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