I know there's been a MILLION topics about these, but I was wondering what actual stores sell birkenstock sandals? Vegan, preferably.
In my town the specialty stores sell them. They are usually family owned businesses that sell other foot friendly shoes. None of the chain stores around here carry birks. If you know your size you can order directly from the catalog. Birkenstock dealers are nice about ordering you whatever they don't have and helping you find your size. Plus you don't have to pay for shipping. Birks are awesome and you won't be able to just have one pair! I have about 10 pairs already. I love them!! Happy shoe shopping!
Oh and try ebay! I have got some great deals on there. There are tons and tons of brand new listings on there if you know your size.
target has fake ones if you want to do it that way. they cost seven dollars. i bought mine for my graduation.
You might want to search their website for locations. I know of a few stores around Seattle that are actually just Birkenstock stores.
i do not wear birks. i have my reasons, not the least of which is the prohibitive price. i don't know how it is elsewhere, but around here, birks are associated with a certain lifestyle and social/political mindset. and that's not to say that i don't agree with that mindset, in fact, in many ways, i do. but i prefer my beliefs about conciousness, politics, and so on to be reflected in the way i live my life, rather than brand-name loyalty to a certain type of shoe. there is a tendency around here at least to wear birks and the like as a symbol of how "progressive" one is, but of course you have to be able to afford to buy the birks in the first place, and this gives rise to a certain social elitism within a community that should be striving to overcome class barriers, in a real and practical sense. (i've been known to rant extensively about this tendency, and have come to refer to it as "the birkenstock conspiracy", due to the close association with the shoes and the presumed lifestyle.) it's not the fault of the birks themselves, really they're just an over-priced shoe, nor does it really have anything to do with the people who wear them, personally. it's the same reason why i don't buy brand-name organics. when politics leaps sluttily into bed with marketing, ideals are diluted and people are encouraged to mistake the image for the ideal it supposedly represents. you can be a right-wing war-monger and wear a pair of birks as easily as you can be a lefty granola crunching eco-yuppie. besides, if you really want to be good to your feet, you're better off going barefoot and being conscious of where you step anyway.
My family is German , so Birkenstocks are a dime a dozen there. They have cool ones I've never been able to find over here. So every time I go there, I buy a few pairs, they are so much cheaper!
Well, the cool think about birks, is that you can easily replace the soles on them and a single pair can last you 30+ years. Plus, they are not all expensive, I got some vegan birk sandles for like $60. If you pay less for shoes, you must be supporting sweat shop labor. \ Well, people do need shoes, and people are forced to buy a specific brand. Do you make a point to buy generic brand shoes? Face it, most shoes avaliable are from brand names, and birkenstock is not a bad company to support. Unlike most shoe makers, they are made in Germany, and not in China, Tawain, ect. I wear birks because they fit my foot so well and are very comfortable, and you never have to tie them, just slip them on and off. I don't give a fuck about the sterotypical immage that is connected with them, they are just awsome shoes. If you care about not wearing something because of the sterotypical immage, you are just as bad as the person who does wear something because of the sterotypical immage.
i feel like i should step up to 'defend' kitty on this one. she didn't say anything to the effect that all or most birk wearers are image-conscious poseurs...birks are just not for everyone. as far as cost, i don't have a problem with birks. i feel like all the purchases of clothing, have been worth my money, if i don't do a price comparison to determine value but just look at hours worked vs. necessity/hours used. if you save your cash and buy a few important things, that'll probably be enough. most importantly, whatever!
I found a pair in the mud at Bonnaroo...I guess someone was too lazy to pick them up when they got stuck in one of those manure puddles. They fit, though.
I LOVE MY BIRKENSTOCKS! I have really really bad back problems and they are the only sandals that I can wear without limping for the next three weeks... They are great I love them and the have vegan birks! If you know people in germany have htem buy them for you and ship them to you if not birkentstockcentral.com works!
