Birkenstocks are familiar to almost everyone, but are you aware that the Birkenstock family made their first footwear over 230 years ago in Germany? Birkenstock is famous for their healthful sandals, however, you still might be surprised by all the uncommon characteristics of the footwear.
Just about everybody’s heard of Birkenstock, but did you realize that the Birkenstock family began making footwear in Germany over 230 years ago? We all know of their reputation for producing healthy sandals, but you might be surprised at how many special qualities Birkenstocks actually can lay claim to.
Lets start with the heel cup on the footbed, which holds the heel in a neutral position, reducing stress on the forefoot, as opposed to the raised heel seen on most current footwear. This can lead to conditions such a metatsalgia, which we’ll talk more about a little later. Now we come to the famous Birkenstock ’toe bar’, which, in combination with the innate flexibility of the sole itself, allows the foot to benefit from a type of natural exercise as the toes grip the sole. Cork and jute, two natural materials, are incorporated into the construction of the footbed.
The fact that the footwear matches the natural configuration of the human foot is one of the main precepts behind the Birkenstock concept. So, as you might anticipate, the footwear would need to come in varying widths, and indeed both narrow and wide fits are available. The Birkenstock footbed is highly contoured in order to reflect the shape of the human foot.
While most people find the padding on the regular footbed fine, some people would like a little more cushion, and Birkenstock’s soft footbed is for them. Some Birkenstock styles also offer a high-arch version, for people who require extra support in the arch area.
[ The footbed permits the foot to have the room necessary in order that it may assume its natural form. This is useful when treating conditions like claw toe or hammer toe. Also useful in treating or preventing the previously mentioned metatarsalgia, which is pain and inflammation in the ball of the foot. Also, a problem called Morton’s neuroma (where bones in the front of the foot press on a nerve) is very often precluded or cured by a roomy shoe.
These days, Birks offer a lot of variety. It’s not like the days when Birkenstocks only came in a couple of styles and everyone knew them by sight. Now, the line include shoes and boots, in addition to many sandals in different styles. There are so many choices that anybody can find the perfect match for their footwear style and needs. Naturally, you have the original Birkenstocks, but complementing them, you can now choose from the workplace-oriented Alpro, the spirited Birki’s, the fashionable (and comfortable, of course) Papillio or Tatami, and the stylish Footprints with wearer-removable footbed.
And lastly, Birks last a long time due to the sturdy construction, but when they finally do start to show their age, they’re made to be repaired. If you don’t have an authorized Birkenstock repair shop near you, you can find many mail order repair facilities on the Internet.
Though Birkenstocks are now sold in almost every city and town in America and on many Web Site, the online shoe store of Happy Feet Plus offers the largest selection by far. The Web Site is happyfeet.com. Happy Feet Plus