How Many Birkenstocks Do You Own?

Family, friends, and co-workers keep asking me, “Gina Mama, how many pairs of Birkenstocks do you have?”  Blog readers, Facebook “friends”, and Instagram followers all want to know the same thing.  I get asked this question at least twice a day.

I have several answers to this repetitive question, “I don’t know”, “I have never counted them before”, “too many”, “not enough,” “I really couldn’t tell ‘ya because the number is constantly fluctuating,” or “I’m going to write a blog about it”.  People laugh off my answer the first time, but ask me again, getting another vague answer.

I have been avoiding giving a definitive answer because I am a socially conscious individual.  I know that people are struggling every day to make ends meet.  I don’t want to throw out a number because I don’t want to appear that I am gloating or bragging in anyway.  This is not who I am.  I am a giver.  I say don’t brag about what you have, brag about what you can give instead.  

My blog was created to give you information about Birkenstocks.  It’s a forum to share what I have learned about this amazing brand.  It’s about my life adventures while wearing Birkenstocks.  It’s not about how many Birkenstocks are in my closet.

When someone asks me how many Birkenstocks I own, it makes me want to shut down.  It’s like someone asking me how much I weigh.  To me, the question is inappropriate.  Even though I work-out everyday and eat a vegetarian diet, I don’t have the body of a super model.  If I were to tell someone how much I weigh, I would feel like I didn’t measure up to a certain standard.  If I told the world how many Birkenstocks I have in my closet, I would be judged: positively and/or negatively.  Although some people might enjoy knowing the answer, others might think I have too many.

Do I have too many Birkenstocks?  Well that depends on who you ask.  Shoes are just my thing.  Some people have a thing for watches, others for handbags.   Some people like collecting cars, others jewelry.  I am not a collector of Birkenstocks, I just own more than one pair.  I like Birkenstocks because they make my feet happy, therefore I have multiple pairs.  

Unlike a pair of jeans, my Birkenstocks always fit and never go out of style.  The only time my shoe size fluctuated was when I was pregnant.  My weight can change daily.  One day a certain pair of jeans may fit, another day they may not.  When a pair of jeans don’t fit well it affects my mood.  I never have this problem with Birkenstocks because they always fit.  Birkenstocks don’t wound my self-esteem.  Since Birkenstocks make me emotionally satisfied I have more than one pair.  

I will admit to having certain categories of Birkenstocks.  I have Birkenstocks for walking or lounging, others for work or dress up and some for fall and winter. 

Walking/exercising Birkenstocks

Work Birks

Lounging Around Birkenstocks Bostons

Fall/winter Birkenstock Stowe Boots

I guarantee you that every pair of Birkenstocks in my closet sees the light of day.  Living in the Bay Area, the weather is constantly changing.  I never know what pair I might wear from one day to the next.  I may wear a pair of Boston clogs in the middle of August because it is freezing and a pair of Gizehs in late October because of a heat wave.  Birkenstocks in the Bay Area are not seasonal and various models can be worn all year round.

I have mentioned in previous blog posts about Marie Kondo’s book, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing”.  One of the themes of this book is to only keep things in your life that make you happy.  Birkenstocks make me happy.  They add style to my wardrobe, keep my feet and back healthy, plus they put a smile on my face each time I slip my feet into a pair.  

In the past, I had a number of shoes in my closet that I only wore a handful of few times.  Many of these shoes felt comfortable when I tried them on in the store, but caused foot discomfort if worn for long periods of time.  Other shoes I rarely wore because I liked them so much that I didn’t want them to get damaged.  I felt like I had to “save” them for special occasions.  This is not the case with my Birkenstocks.  I don’t “save” certain pairs for fear of wearing them out.  Birkenstocks highly durable and they are fully repairable.  Therefore, if something happens to a pair of my Birkenstocks, I can have them repaired.  I love all my Birkenstocks and I wear all my Birkenstocks.  Plus, the longer you wear a pair of Birkenstocks, the more comfortable they become.  

I love that Birkenstocks become more comfortable overtime.  Shoes are an extension of our bodies.  What better way to extend your body then with a pair of shoes that mold to your feet?  Because Birkenstocks are an extension of my body and they bring me happiness, I have several pairs.

I may not have as many Birkenstocks as you might think.  Afterall, I live in a typical Bay Area home with ultra small closets.  I don’t have a lot of room for excess.  I don’t have a 1,000+ pair of shoes like Imelda Marcos.  I don’t have a closet of expensive designer shoes like Carrie Bradshaw. 

Imelda Marcos sitting with her shoes

Carrie Bradshaw with her shoes

I don’t have a dedicated closet just for my Birkenstocks.  I have a simple hand-made shoe rack in my closet that holds all my Birkenstocks, plus a few other non Birkenstock shoes.  Everything fits onto this wooden shoe rack that may dad custom made for me when I left for college.  

Having said all that, are you still wanting to know how many Birkenstocks I own?  Well, let me tell you.....I have just the right number of Birkenstocks to happily support my feet (soles) and my emotional needs (soul).  

I Love Birkenstocks and I have just enough pairs to meet all my needs.