|
It has been two years since I posted my very first blog on my website.  Happy 2nd Birthday to Gina Mama's "I Love Birkenstocks" Blog I never imagined that this webpage would turn into what it has today. I have made Birkenstocks friends all across the world. I appreciate your emails and other forms of communication via social media. If you are not already following me on Instagram or Facebook, please do so, I would love to hear your Birkenstock story.
Happy 2nd Birthday to Gina Mama's "I Love Birkenstocks" webpage. I have known Gina Mama since our college days, where her Birkenstocks were lined up next to my Tevas and we both staunchly defended our shoe of choice. I’m not sure why I never even tried on a pair of Birks because I have always accepted that they are a quality shoe, that mostly everyone who tries them loves, except to say I too developed a preference for a quality, comfortable, supportive shoe and found that in a package that seemed more conventional than a Birk, and in my mind more practical for my needs. Now, roughly 25 years later, I have accepted Gina’s challenge to give Birks a chance. Is this a case of better late than never? The night before my birthday, a package arrived, containing a pair of (Original Footbed) Gizehs in a brilliant purple (Graceful Magenta Purple Limited) color I absolutely love.  Gift to Julie: Birkenstock Gizeh Graceful Magenta Purple I should watch what I say because only days earlier I had told Gina that if I ever gave Birks a try, I’d want a purple pair. I had seen a metallic purple Birkenstock Arizona on a young lady in Breckenridge, CO and found myself admiring them. But as I know from her blog, the metallic uppers are prone to cosmetic problems and that is definitely something I would not want to deal with. As soon as I got home, I put on the Birks and wore them around the house for about 30 minutes. I’m not a flip-flop wearer usually so the part between the toe on the Gizeh model felt a little weird. I didn’t develop any hot spots although I was ready to be back in bare feet when I slipped them off. I should note, like Gina, I have firm shoe preferences that haven’t changed much in decades. I also live an active outdoor lifestyle that demands the proper footwear for both safety and performance. In an over-simplified statement, if it’s a shoe and you can buy it at REI then I would probably wear it. I live in Salomon trail running shoes (my “retired” pairs kept for walking), Keen/Merrel/Ahnu hiking and snow boots and Keen H2 closed-toe water shoe/sandals. My “dress” shoes are Merrells which still offer support and comfort. Luckily, my lifestyle doesn’t demand anything too formal.  Good news, you can buy Birks at REI Day 1 I sent Gina Mama a text saying “I’m trusting you” and wore the Gizehs to a meeting at the school and later to school picks ups, which required more walking than would probably be recommended during the initial break-in period. Happy to report—no problems at all. Although I did find myself wanting to slip my feet out as I sat in the meeting. Day 2 Feeling great walking around the house in these Birks after a run. Usually I’m barefoot. The toe part doesn’t feel weird anymore, I don’t really notice it, Gina Mama says its because my foot is positioned properly. Cool. I told her I find the heel part of the footbed too firm right now. Not uncomfortably so, but just something I noticed. I wanted to note that sensation to see if it truly does soften over time. Another iconic requirement of my footwear choices has been user friendly out of the box! I’ve been fortunate to not suffer blisters or anything uncomfortable with my trusted brands. I’m not so gutsy as to hike a fourteener in a brand new pair of hikers, but still pushed boundaries compared to some stories about breaking shoes in. Blister-free always. I feel it’s because I have my brands and I just keep buying replacements for what I know and love. So admittedly, I’ve been put off by the idea of a break-in period for Birks. Will it be worth it? In two days I can say it’s looking good!  Love the contrast of the black soles with magenta uppers Less than 1 week later You know the expression, ”walk a mile in my shoes?,” well I figured today was as good a day as any to give it a shot. Gina Mama blogs frequently about the comfort of walking in Birks pretty much anywhere, and since these are starting to feel broken-in, I went for it. I kept up a steady brisk pace for 20 minutes on a paved path. And while it felt weird not to have my Salomons on, it didn’t feel bad. Great support and nice to have my toes exposed on a sunny day. By the end, I was feeling some hot spots but I know that’s part of the break-in process. Can I walk a mile in Gina Mama's shoes? Absolutely and happily! I found their purpose!! A good looking and comfortable shoe that can be dressy. I do still love my Merrells, but I didn’t have ANY sandal style shoes in my wardrobe, nothing open toed, until the Gizehs, because I won’t put anything uncomfortable on. So I’m more than super excited to add these amazing shoes to my wardrobe. One month later…. Well here I am, going on a trip- do I bring my Birks? Gina Mama has blogged about packing the right vacation shoes. As a believer in the “proper” shoe for the activity, I was in a dilemma with what to bring on my recent trip to Moab, UT. Hiking boots and my SPD clipless biking shoes were a MUST. But, I wanted to add a cool, comfortable shoe too, for time off the trails. It came down to Keen H2 water sandals vs Gizehs. I took the Keens. I willingly admit either shoe would have done the job. But—we planned some fishing (= water, maybe mud) and the desert is a dusty, rocky place which seemed more suitable to a shoe I could get wet and not worry about washing. Gina would probably say as much as I adore my Birks, I’m not a total convert yet. :) Or is there space for me to be somewhere in between? A few weeks later I informed Gina Mama of a challenge to myself. If I’m not outside, (sometimes even if I am) or on a trail, I’m probably barefoot. My feet and joints are fine with this but a comment from a friend who recently moved into a new home floored primarily in tile and complained about aching feet made me think- 'would I notice a difference if I wore Birks instead of barefoot?' So, I’m giving myself a conscientious week to find out. It’ll be tough- putting on shoes at home isn’t natural like slipping on my bike helmet when I grab my Specialized Stympjumper. Come to think of it, this may need to be a 2 week experiment!! Success!! By leaving my Birks in a convenient spot where I often abandon my shoes when I get home I was able to remember and fulfill this challenge. Comfortable? Definitely. Better for my joints? Probably. But, old habits die hard and as fall gave way to winter, and I came inside stomping off snow, I eased into my winter habit of no shoes, socks on. Now I know there has been much debate about socks with Birks, and I would certainly be a person who would push those boundaries (I have been known to wear socks with Keen sandals on cold camp mornings and knee high smartwool socks with boots and capri sports pants after snowboarding), but socks and Gizehs are pretty clearly a show stopper. So winter arrived in full force and my pretty Gizehs went back in their box.  Julie is going miss wearing her Birks during a Colorado Winter Spring is here! To varying degrees where I live at 7300 ft elevation in Colorado at least. In one week we can enjoy sunshine and low 70’s then bundle back up for a spring snow storm. So I’ve only had my Birks back out a few times, as Spring in the mountains doesn’t exactly feel springlike just because the calendar says its so, but the important point is—I’ve had them back out!! No time wasted. My feet eased right back into them where we left off. Comfortably worn in.  Julie's broken-in Birks are ready for Spring/Summer 2018! It’ll be interesting to see what summer brings, what choices I make in footwear. Certainly for casual dressy occasions I’m grabbing those Gizehs. No worries for me that I’ll have hot spots or tired feet. The break-in process was mild. For around town, probably the Gizehs. I can admit they are more stylish and TONS cuter than my Keen H2 sports sandals. For adventure trips, that’ll be a tough choice. I can’t change the minimalist in me, nor the need to have exactly the right shoe for the job. And there is one other factor to consider. Would I want to risk ruining my Birks? The answer is a resounding No! Which brings me back to the beginning. Is this a case of better late than never, giving Birks a chance? The ruling is in and my feet say YES! A special thank you to Hiker Beans for 25 years of friendship and for taking the time to write this guest blog. - Gina Mama
If you have ever watched a fixer upper show, you know that some people have a creative eye for renovating homes that are in poor condition. I am not one of those people who has the “eye” for a home renovation. I do, however, have this skill when it comes to envisioning how a worn out pair of Birkenstocks would look after a recraft. Sometimes when I am scrolling through used Birkenstock listings on Poshmark or eBay, I come across a pair of completely dilapidated Birks that I cannot pass up. To most people, they would scroll past such a listing and look for something that is not falling apart. But for me, when I see a unique pair of leather Birkenstocks, that appear to be in total disrepair, something draws me in. I can look past the cracked cork, the uppers that are peeling away from the footbed, or the sole that has worn through to the cork. If the Birks are authentic, the uppers are unique and leather, and the buckles are in good shape, then I have to have them. It’s like finding a diamond in the rough! I like having uncommon Birkenstocks because that is what makes Gina Mama, Gina Mama. When I came across these two pairs of Gizehs on Poshmark, I knew, immediately, that they needed to be added to my collection.
The bedazzled Gizehs were an extraordinary find!! I realize, that Birkenstock will be releasing sandals this season, and next, with rivets. But, none of those Birkenstocks have diamond like gems and star bling. The stars on these Gizehs reminded me of my Grandma (another blog) and I had to have them. As for the pair on the right.....Red. Leather. Gizehs. Need I say more? Unique. Rare. Awesome. There is no sacrificing here. Guess how much I paid for these Birkenstocks? Now, I realize, that for some of my readers, the answer might be “too much!”. However, for those of you with an artistic eye, you will agree, that I got these for a steal. I only paid $20!! Whaaat?? For leather Birkenstocks?! This is a true bargain despite their appearance. Once I get these recrafted, they will be brand spanking new. Plus, in my opinion, they will be priceless since no one else will have them! For recrafting, I decided to send these Birkenstocks to Michelangelo, at Michelangelo's Foot Comfort & Pedorthic Shoppe because he specializes in Custom Made Birkenstocks. (I mean, who amongst us doesn’t want to commission something artistic from Michelangelo?) Michelangelo had emailed me after coming across my webpage. I learned that Michelangelo is a licensed and certified pedorthist. What is a pedorthist? A pedorthist is a professional who has specialized training to modify footwear and employ supportive devices to address conditions which affect the feet and lower limbs. Michelangelo is also a certified orthotic fitter. Plus, his business is a certified Birkenstock repair center, as I confirmed via Birkenstock USA’s web site. What intrigued me is that Michelangelo does more than just repairs and recrafts. Michelangelo's website states that he “can make your old Birkenstocks look like new again. We can heel you and save your sole. Repairs available on Birkenstocks: Heels, Soles, Lifts, New Foot Beds, Rockersoles, New Straps (whole or partial). You name it and I am sure we can do it. We can even do Golf Soles on Birkenstocks!” I might need to get my husband a pair of Birkenstocks with golf soles. When I contacted Michelangelo about recrafting my Gizehs, he was extremely professional and responsive to my inquiries. My questions were answered promptly and honestly. When I sent my Birkenstocks to Michelangelo, he only had one pair of 38 regular footbeds in stock. He mentioned that it would take a few extra days to recraft because he needed to order another pair of footbeds from Birkenstock USA. He kept me informed about the status of the footbed order throughout the entire process. Michelangelo is not only a skilled pedorthist who can work wonders on a pair of Birkenstocks, he also has a great sense of humor. Like when he fooled me with some Birkenstock humor. He asked me what color soles I wanted on each pair. He asked, “did you want the light black, dark black or medium black soles?” Tough question. I had to think about it. I knew that Birkenstock has a rainbow of colors when it comes to soles. But, did they have different color black soles? Was I not familiar with the terminology of the variety of dark sole colors? He had me going there. I answered, for the “Red Gizehs I would like dark black. Pearl Gizehs light black or dark brown”. I am sure he had a good laugh at my answer because I fell for his joke. After I replied, he told me that Birkenstock only makes one color black sole!!! Here is what the Birkenstocks looked like when I sent them to Michelangelo: Bedazzled Birkenstock Gizehs (before)  Shoddy looking Birkenstocks, uppers peeling away from footbed  Soles worn down at heel and toes. And I don't like white soles  These cork footbeds have seen better days Red Leather Gizehs (before)  I get the "hee bee gee bees" when I look at these used footbeds  Dried cork, cracked at foot bend and heels worn down  Soles worn through to cork Here is what the Birkenstocks looked like after Michelangelo’s recraft: Bedazzled Birkenstock Gizehs (after)  Take a moment to admire the artistic craftsmanship on these recrafts  Brand new, authentic Birkenstock soles  Shiny cork from professionally applied sealant Red Leather Gizehs (after)  Michelangelo did an amazing job on this Gizeh recraft  Better than new since Birkenstock does not currently make red leather Gizehs  Michelangelo is a master of Birkenstock recraft These recrafts turned out to be amazing. Michelangelo is truly an artist when it comes to Birkenstock repair work. Let's compare the before and after images:
I am so satisfied with Michelangelo’s work, I am wondering if I might need to order a custom made pair of Birkenstocks. To learn about the type of Birkenstock and Tatami sandals that he can customize, please refer to Michelangelo's web site. Michelangelo states that he “can make almost any type of Birkenstock…Unlike the other guys who market custom made Birkenstock sandals, we have the ability to obtain any Birkenstock sandal, take it apart and reassemble it just for you! The other guys only make styles that are available as parts from Birkenstock USA”. For a Birkenstock connoisseur like myself, such possibilities are endless and this offer is very intriguing. If you are in the market for Custom Made Birkenstocks, a Birkenstock repair or recraft, or other unique footwear solutions, I highly recommend that you try Michelangelo's Foot Comfort & Pedorthic Shoppe on for size. TIP: Want more information about recrafting? If so, please click here to read my original blog on the topic.
About two years ago, I published the blog, “Spotting Fake Birkenstocks”. Since then, Birkenstock has made changes to the labeling on their footbeds. This blog will identify these changes as well as highlight some new tips to help you avoid purchasing counterfeit Birkenstocks. Counterfeit Birkenstocks are big business. There are some hard to spot knock-offs being sold online. In fact, Sandy, from Sandy's Birkenstock Boutique in Australia, knowingly purchased a pair of knock-off Gizehs that looked very similar to the real deal. She did this intentionally to help educate her customers on the differences between genuine vs counterfeit Birkenstocks. Sandy was kind enough to grant me permission to share her photos with my readers. You will see her photos shared throughout this blog. How To Avoid Purchasing Counterfeit BirkenstocksAuthorized Retailer 1. For those of you in the United States, my number one rule of thumb to avoid buying knock-off Birkenstocks is to purchase your shoes from an authorized Birkenstock retailer. Birkenstock USA has a store locator tool to help you find an authorized dealer. If you live in the United States or Europe, do not purchase Birkenstocks through Amazon! I repeat. Do not purchase Birkenstocks through Amazon. Why not? Read this. Birkenstock Box 2. Authentic Birkenstocks will be shipped to you in a Birkenstock box. There are currently two versions of Birkenstock boxes. The older version looks like this:  Older version of Birkenstock Box The newer version looks like this:  Newest version of Birkenstock Box There is a series of Birkenstock Kids models where the box is white and blue.  Photo of Birkenstock Kids box by Sandy Also, some of the limited edition Birkenstocks come in a black box. Recently, I ordered the Big Buckle Madrids and they arrived in a very fancy black box with white lettering. Sadly, I had to send them back because they were labeled as regular width online but arrived in narrows.  Photo from Complete Birkenstock shows the black box with white lettering The image below, from Sandy, compares the sticker on an authentic Birkenstock box vs that found on a counterfeit box. In regards to the sticker on the box, Sandy writes "this is our favorite for comparing the real deal with the knock-offs. Here's a list of what's wrong with this picture: - The product code for the genuine Birkenstock Gizeh Silver is 043851. It has been that way for YEARS. Sorry fake label, totally wrong. - A 41 is a ladies size 10 (L10). You already fluffed it up on the footbed imprint saying L10.5. And now on the box label you're telling us it's L8-8.5 - ha! Nope. - The fake label has the German words "Nubukleder" and "Weichbettung" meaning "Nubuck Leather" and "Soft Footbed" respectively. Wrong again. These are the classic footbed, not soft. And it's a Birko Flor upper, nothing nubuck OR leather about it. - The fake label on the bottom also mentions that this upper is "Patent" - lol! Nope. Again. - Real Birkenstock labels always note the color of the product. Some very very old labels (from memory) might have worked on product code alone omitting a mention of the color from the label, but not for many many MANY years. It's literally as if someone has picked their favorite words and numbers off an assortment of real Birkenstock labels and they've mish-mashed them together on this tragedy of a knock-off. Note: Genuine Birkenstock labels have indeed been varied over the years, so the layout and formatting will sometimes be different between releases. In this comparison we picked on the most obvious issues. If you ever want a second opinion on your label, we'd be delighted to put our expert-Birkenstock-detective-spectacles to the test!"  Sandy's image illustrates the differences on a genuine vs fake Birkenstock Box Remember, each Birkenstock box has a sticker with the picture of the actual shoe. It clearly lists the style, color, material, size, and width of the shoe that you purchased. If there is no sticker or if the details do not match, send them back! If your shoes show up in an unmarked box, or no box at all...send them back!! If your gut tells you the shoes, that you just purchased, are not authentic Birkenstocks, send them back!!! You will never get over the feeling of not being confident in your decision. The small difference in price is not worth your questioning the authenticity of your shoes. Logo on the Footbed 3. Here’s where things get a little tricky for the untrained eye. The Birkenstock logo is imprinted on the footbed of each shoe. Older Birkenstock shoes with Original Footbeds are imprinted with yellow, whereas newer shoes with Original Footbeds are imprinted in black. The imprint of the soft footbed Birkenstocks remain blue. More on this later. If you take a closer look at the Original Footbeds, you might also notice that the size and the footprint have switched positions.  Older vs newest version of Original Footbed Birkenstocks Although there has been no change of the blue color on the imprint of Soft Footbed Birkenstocks, the positioning of some items have been switched around. Similar to the Original Footbed, the foot symbol indicating the width of the shoe and the size have swapped positions. On older versions of the Soft Footbed Birks, the “Made in Germany” imprint was located just above the Birkenstock logo and the “Soft Footbed” logo was underneath the Birkenstock name.  Older versions of the Soft Footbed Birkenstocks On the newer models of Soft Footbed Birks, the “Made in Germany” is placed under the Birkenstock logo and the “Soft Footbed” is imprinted inside a small rectangle on the heel of the shoe.  Newest version of Soft Footbed Birkenstocks On both the Original and Soft Footbed Birkenstocks, the leather icon on the older footbed reads “Brand Sole Leder”, whereas the new footbed has a logo without words.  The leather icon on the older footbed reads “Brand Sole Leder”  The newest footbed has a leather logo without words The vegan Birkenstocks have green lettering on their footbeds.  Vegan Birkenstock with green lettering on the footbed The lettering on exquisite and limited edition Birkenstocks is typically silver or gold. If we take a peek at image from Complete Birkenstock again, you will notice the silver and gold lettering.  Silver and gold lettering as shown in the image by Complete Birkenstock A fake shoe might misspell a word imprinted on the footbed, use the wrong color lettering, or not include the logo "Birkenstock" at all. I highly recommend that you carefully check the color of the lettering, the spelling and the placement of all the words on the footbed, with the above pictures, to avoid purchasing knock-offs. Soles 4. The majority of Birkenstock soles are made of EVA material. The exception is those made with Sports soles. Soles of Birkenstock sandals come in various colors these days. No matter the color (brown, black, white, red, navy, green, pink, purple, etc) the soles should look like these:  Authentic Brown Birkenstock Soles  Authentic White Birkenstock Soles  Authentic Purple Birkenstock Soles  Authentic Orange Birkenstock Soles The sole of the shoe should have areas with the word “Birk" on the design. Knock-off Birkenstock sandals may look similar to the above photographs but have the “Birk” imprint absent from the sole or printed in the wrong size. Sandy's picture illustrates the difference between a genuine vs a fake Birkenstock sole. Per Sandy, "the "Birk" pattern of the sole is definitely the right shape, but the genuine Birkenstocks have a much finer/smaller size to each patterned segment."  Photo by Sandy showing genuine vs fake Birkenstock soles Birkenstock sandals with Sport Soles are different than those made with the traditional EVA material. Sport Sole Birkenstocks look like this:  Birkenstock Sport Soles Birkenstock boots and shoes have different bottoms compared to the sandals. Here is a photo of the sole of my Stowe Boots, please note other boots may have different soles.  Birkenstock Stowe Soles Birkenstock shoes like the Arran and Barrie should look similar to this:  Soles of Birkenstock Arran and Barrie look like this Here is a pictures of the soles of the Cincinnati and Manitoba models:  Soles of Manitoba and Cincinnati look like this Logo on inner side of shoe 5. The Birkenstock logo should also be imprinted on the inner side of each shoe. If you rub your finger across the logo, you can feel the imprint.  Imprinted Birkenstock logo on side of shoe However, on some of the uppers like, Magic Galaxy, the Birkenstock logo is not embedded on the upper. It is printed on the Birko Flor upper and looks like this.  Birkenstock Logo on Magic Galaxy A select few Birkenstocks may not even have the Birkenstock symbol on the inside of each shoe. My mirror rose gold Mayaris and my Yaras do not have the Birkenstock label and I know they are authentic because I purchased them directly through an authorized retailer. Please note, fake Yaras have entered the Poshmark marketplace and have Birkenstock painted on the shoe. Such fakes are obvious to the trained eye.  These do not have a "Birkenstock" imprint. Purchased through Birkenstock USA.  These do not have a "Birkenstock" imprint. Purchased at Nordstrom. Weight 6. Let’s talk about the weight of Birkenstocks. Authentic Birkenstocks are much lighter than they appear. Fake Birkenstocks are heavy and weigh more than authentic Birks. Bendability 7. The footbed of Birkenstocks made with cork should be sturdy. They should bend only a little bit. If you can bend the shoe from toe to heel, then it is a counterfeit. This rule, of course, does not apply to Birkenstock EVA sandals. Uppers 8. The uppers of Birkenstocks should be thick and sturdy. Leather Birkenstocks are made from top grain leather. Birko-Flor shoes have thick uppers with a nice fleece lining on the underside. Fake Birkenstocks have thin leather/pleather and plasticy uppers without a fleece underside or a very cheap version of the fleece (see #20). Often you can see where the knock-off Birks have been glued to the fake footbeds or you may see the lining on the footbed is peeling away. .  Fake Birkenstocks being sold on Poshmark  Fake Birkenstocks on Poshmark  Fake Birkenstock found on Poshmark.  Fake Floridas on Poshmark, these are glaring fakes!  So many red flags with these fake Yaras on Poshmark Glue 9. If you find clumps of glue where the uppers attach to the footbed, the shoes are likely not authentic. There should be no glue anywhere. Buckles 10. Check the buckles and buttons. The name “Birkenstock” should be shown on each buckle and button. On the smaller buckles you might just see “Birk” or “Birken”. To further clarify, Sandy explains "The Birkenstock brand has a wide range of buckles for its sandals, including "BIRK", "BIRKEN" and "BIRKENSTOCK". This is a size 41 Birkenstock Gizeh comparison, and accordingly should have the largest "BIRKENSTOCK" buckle instead of the medium "BIRKEN" one...Birkenstock uses different sized buckles for different strap thicknesses etc. The buckles scale up with the size of the shoe. Makes sense! And naturally, a Gizeh as it gets larger in size, will have a slightly thicker set of straps. We have checked all our stock and can confirm the following for Birkenstock Gizeh regular width models: Sizes 35-40: "BIRKEN" buckle with two staples Sizes 41 and above: "BIRKENSTOCK" buckle with four staples." In addition, Sandy advises that fake buckles tend to be "too shiny".  Sandy's Photo of a size 41 Birkenstock (genuine vs fake) Deep Discounts 11. Birkenstocks rarely go on sale. If you find Birkenstocks deeply discounted, they are likely not authentic Birks. If the sale sounds too good to be true, it likely is. Again, for those in the U.S., verify that the site from which you purchase is an authorized retailer. See Step #1. I should note, that legitimate Birkenstock retailers do discount some Birkenstocks, a few times a year. For example, I found some great bargains at Birkenstock Express at their end of season sale on select Birkenstocks. Where you need to be extra vigilant is when you find an online retailer that has a universal discount across the board. In other words, if a site is selling all their Birkenstocks, even the core range models, at the exact same super low price, they are likely knock-offs. Numbering 12. All authentic Birkenstocks have numbers embedded on the footbed. These numbers do not mean anything to the consumer, just to the manufacturer. The numbers may or may not match. Essentially, these numbers indicate whether or not you received an exact pair of footbeds that were manufactured at the same time. In other words, were the right and left side made at the exact time? If these numbers match, then yes. Again, they do NOT have to match. It is just fun to know whether or not you received a perfect match. Most knock-off Birkenstocks do not have these numbers, however, I did spot them on the fakes shown in Sandy's pictures.  Sandy's Birkenstock Boutique photo show the difference between a genuine vs fake footbed. Sometimes the batch numbers are not completely visible on new Birkenstocks, but they are there if you look hard and feel for the indentation. Sandy explains that "this is definitely more an issue on Soft Footbeds where it just doesn't imprint because of the squish of the footbed." More Numbers 13. On real leather Birkenstocks, if you peek underneath the top straps on the outer most side, you will see a number embedded. As with the footbeds, the numbers may or may not match. These numbers indicate whether or not you received a pair of uppers made at the same time. To reiterate, you will only find these on real leather straps, not on Birko Flor or Birkibuc uppers.  These numbers you will only find under the straps of real leather Birkenstocks Sizing 14. The image below from Sandy also shows something that I had not noticed. The sizing is off on these fake footbeds! Sandy explains, "These footbeds would fool even the most seasoned Birkenstock wearers. The fonts are right. The color (black or yellow) is right, the footprint symbol is right. Even the little batch number (33 7Y upper picture, 77 A5 bottom picture) imprinted in the suede of footbed underneath the yellow or black writing is spot on! But wait a minute!!! A Birkenstock size Euro 41 equates to a ladies 10 (L10) or a mens 8 (M8). The fake footbed says L10.5. Epic fail again!"  Sandy illustrates how the sizing is off on the footbed of the fake Birkenstocks Serial Numbers 15. On some Birkenstocks, you may even spot a serial number underneath the top most buckle. This is how Birkenstock tracks which country their shoes end up. I believe they use this technique on the kid Birkenstocks, but occasionally you can find them on adult shoes as well. Of all my Birkenstocks, I believe I have only found serial numbers on a few pairs.  Birkenstock Serial Number Odors 16. Knock-off Birkenstocks tend to have a strong chemical odor. All non vegan authentic Birkenstocks should have a rich, leathery smell, from the suede lining on the footbed. The vegan Birkenstocks that I have tried smelled a little funny, but nowhere near as toxic smelling like a fake pair. Under the uppers 17. The underside of fake Birkenstocks are not soft and supple like a genuine sandal. Sandy explains that "The underside of the Birko Flor upper on the genuine Birkenstock Gizeh Silver is a grey color that matches the depth and tone of the topside of the straps. On the fake sandal the underside is white and oddly fluffing after only moments of handling. We also see five holes instead of four! The strap is also a bit skinny and long in this example."  Sandy's photo shows the underside of the uppers (genuine vs fake) Concave (upwards) 18. The sole of genuine Birkenstocks tend to concave upwards, ever so slightly, whereas the soles of knock-off Birkenstocks are completely flat. Sandy's image below clearly shows this difference.  Sandy's photo comparing the soles of genuine vs fake Birkenstocks Color 19. The color of a genuine Birkenstock uppers often have a rich depth of color. Fake Birkenstocks uppers tend to have colors that are flat and dull. This picture from Sandy clearly shows the difference.  Sandy's image showing the difference in colors. Imperfections 20. Manufacturing imperfections are easily identified on fake Birkenstocks. Sandy's picture below shows these imperfections. Sandy notes, "near-microscopic manufacturing imperfections can be found if you look closely enough at any Birkenstock product, the fake Birkenstocks on the right actually show little notch marks on the material which is likely were it was cut and separated during manufacture. You will never see this on a real Birkenstock sandal."  Photo from Sandy identifies a manufacturing defect on the fake Birkenstocks Made in Germany 21. All Birkenstock sandals are made in Germany. Many Birkenstock shoes and boots are made in Portugal. NONE ARE MADE IN CHINA!!!! Let me repeat that, no Birkenstock shoe is made in China. If you see that they are made in China they are 100% counterfeit!!! If you find a pair on eBay shipping from China, they are undoubtably counterfeit. Conclusion
Bottom line, if your Birkenstocks do not match up to the authentic images pictured above, OR, if your gut tells you that the Birkenstocks are knock-offs, send them back!! Save yourself the headache and avoid spending your hard earned money on counterfeit Birkenstocks. If you live in the United States, simply purchase your Birkenstocks through an authorized retailer. Even though the knock-off Birkenstocks can appear to be very similar to genuine Birkenstocks, fake Birks will never EVER provide you the comfort, quality, or longevity of an authentic Birkenstock. For more information regarding “Spotting Fake Birkenstocks,” please refer to my original blog post here. If you would like to connect with Sandy at Sandy's Birkenstock Boutique, you can find her on Facebook or view her Birkenstock listings on eBay. Thank you again, Sandy, for collaborating with me on this blog post. Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Send me an email. |
Gina Mama
Birkenstock blogger since 2016. Archives
May 2018
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed