Guest Blog by Sandy, The Birkenstock Lady

Dear Readers,

For the last 10 days, I have been sheltering in place in the Bay Area.  I know that many of you are doing the same thing around the world.    The last three days the entire State of California has been on lockdown.   Life has changed drastically in the blink of an eye. 

Between securing food and paper goods (aka toilet paper) for my family, home schooling my children, and  disinfecting my house from top to bottom, I have been watching an unending stream of  real time news.  

I wish to thank each and every person who has reached out to me via email or social media to make sure that my family is safe.   I have gotten messages from all over the world.  I am so grateful for my Birkenstock friends and wish you and your family safety during this pandemic.

Thanks to my blog, I have had the good fortune of meeting wonderful people all over the world.  One of the most wonderful people that I have met is Sandy, the owner of Sandy's Birkenstock Boutique, in Australia.  While we have yet to meet in person, since we live a world apart, we stay connected via social media.   Much like me, Sandy is hunkering down in her home and keeping her family safe.

Since she had a little extra time on her hands, I asked Sandy to do something that I rarely do.  I requested that Sandy write a guest blog.   She and I have been communicating for months about a special project that she has been working on.  There is no better person to share this with you then Sandy herself!  Sandy is not only an expert on all things Birkenstock, she is a talented writer. 

It is time to take a short break from the constant stream of horrific news and read something light-hearted and fun.  

Below is Sandy's article.   Enjoy.    
​
Stay Safe,
Gina Mama

Multi-coloured Mayaris
By: Sandy, The Birkenstock Lady

​Birkenstock have been making the world’s most comfortable shoes for centuries.  In recent years, they have upped their stakes in innovation and collaboration showcasing fashion-forward trends, designs and styles.  With so many new offerings appearing with each seasonal release, most Birkenstock lovers’ appetites are regularly sated.  But every now and then, if you hesitated on buying that one pair of Birkenstocks only to later discover that they’re gone and never to be made again, then you may understand the concept of Birkenstock regret.  Or perhaps you were out and about and saw a stranger wearing the most extraordinary Birks, but deep down in your gut you also knew that they were likely an exclusive or vintage and most definitely imaginary needle in a haystack that you shouldn’t even bother trying to search for—Birkenstock envy.
 
I’ve been following Gina Mama’s blog for years, and we formed a fast friendship over our mutual love and enthusiasm for all things Birkenstock.  One thing that has always impressed and inspired me is Gina Mama’s willingness to adapt her Birkenstocks to her tastes.  Be it stripping white soles to replace them with darker or funkier alternatives, or dying/painting leather straps to appease her need for a shade of red that Birkenstock didn’t release in a particular run.
 
Inspired by this bespoke Birkenstock behaviour, I decided to embark on a little experiment that would appease my sense of Birkenstock envy with regard to something I had occasionally seen over many years, but never had the opportunity to acquire myself—multi-coloured Mayaris, where each strap is its own separate colour.  Bold and loud foot fashion has always been a passion of mine, be it a quirky style, or a mismatched colour combination of the same shoes.  I should mention that there are a couple of two-tone combination Mayaris that have just launched at Birkenstock USA at the time of writing (Gina Mama never misses a new release--thank you for bringing it to my attention!) and whilst lovely, they are a touch too subtle and delicate for my audacious feet!

Electric Metallic Birkenstocks, Photo by Michelangelo

I’ve had the privilege of working with many great Birkenstock repairers and recrafters over the years who have helped me convert one-off discoveries of narrow-footbed beauties to my preferred regular width, but working with one man in particular had been on my wishlist for quite some time.  Michelangelo from Custom Made Birkenstocks is located in Chicago in the US, almost 15,000 kilometres from my hometown of Brisbane in Australia—but distance was no obstacle for my heart’s desires.  And Gina Mama has raved about Michelangelo’s services and creations for years, so he was the only man who I wanted to entrust with my special project.
 
I set aside three pairs of Mayaris from the “Electric Metallic” series, one in each colour released, and mocked up my ideas in Photoshop to convey my vision to Michelangelo.  Without hesitation he agreed to work with me!  Thrilled and excited, I hurriedly packed my lovelies and shipped them halfway around the world.  Michelangelo worked expertly and expediently to strip off the soles, disassemble the straps, reconfigure the colour combinations according to my specifications, attach new soles and ship them straight back to me.

Custom Made Birkenstocks removed the straps, Photo by Michelangelo

Custom Made Birkenstocks Mix and Matching the Straps, Photo by Michelangelo

​Just like that, I became the proud new owner of three new bespoke pairs of multi-coloured Mayaris.  They are among my absolute favourites from my personal collection!  I do often get asked about them by people in the street, and it delights me to own something so very unique.  International shipping obviously added to the cost associated with this project, and is something that definitely needs to be factored in should you ever wish to embark on a similar journey.  But I thoroughly recommend giving it a go as it gives me so much joy to look down and marvel at my bespoke beauties.

Custom Made Birkenstock's final custom product for Sandy. Photo by Michelangelo

Thank you Gina Mama for the inspiration to create and the opportunity to share my custom Birkenstock story here.  Thank you to Michelangelo from Custom Made Birkenstocks for his craftsmanship and for his photographs while my Birkenstocks were in his charge and care.

Sandy and her "lovelies". Photo by Sandy

Should Birkenstock ever relaunch bright multi-coloured straps in their Mayari range, or any other model that takes your fancy—recent releases have actually included a couple of spirited colourful Zurich, Salina and Yao models—buy what you love when you see it, don’t wait!
 
Sandy
The Birkenstock Lady

Sandy wearing her Mix N' Match Birkenstocks in Vietnam. Photo by Sandy

Readers,

Please support small businesses like Sandy's Birkenstock Boutique and Custom Made Birkenstocks during this crisis.  

Best, 
Gina Mama