FAQ Frequently Asked Questions

We have SO MANY brands, not just Birkenstock. Just to name a few: Naot, Dansko, Alegria, Finn Comfort, Pikolinos, Blundstone, and more! We specialize in Birkenstock, so we have more of that brand than any other.

Our business days are Tues-Sat 10 AM - 5 PM.

Most orders will be shipped out the same or next business day. Orders typically take 3-5 business days to arrive if shipped within CA. We cannot give guarantees as it depends on parcel carriers.

We offer minor repairs such as re-sealing the cork on your sandals. Most repairs will need to be done with a cobbler. (Check out New Life Shoe Repair). We do not offer services such as resoling or repairing cracked footbeds. We accept exchanges for shoes that have defects or other unusual issues.

We accept returns within 30 days for regular stock, and 8 days for clearance items. Footwear must be in new condition. 

We are an independently owned retail store and we do not accept returns from any other retailer (including Birkenstock-USA). We only accept returns of items purchased at www.birkenstockmidtown.com or in our store, Birkenstock Midtown. If you did not purchase from us, then you need to contact the original retailer. Please do not send the item back to the manufacturer. 

We do not offer any sort of special discounts at this time. We do have a loyalty program: if you purchase $1000 worth of shoes within a year you are added to our loyalty program. Loyal members get 10% on any brands other than Birkenstock.

We have two huge clearance sales a year: one in summer and one in winter. Aside from that, items will occasionally go on sale if we’re running a special deal or if a color or style is being discontinued. Core Birkenstock products do not go on sale.

Birkenstock is named after its founding family. The tradition started with Johann Adam Birkenstock in Frankfurt, Germany, who is listed in the archives of Langen-Bergheim, Germany, as “subject and cobbler.” The commitment to making comfortable shoes was passed down, with Karl Birkenstock creating 38 companies under the Birkenstock umbrella and dividing them amongst his three sons.

The “footbed” is the part of the shoe that your foot steps on, which is what offers support. A soft footbed has the same construction as a classic footbed but with an added layer of foam which allows for light cushioning. The soft footbed option was originally designed for additional comfort for diabetics, but it took off as a popular alternative to the firmer footbed. This is a great option for people with flatter feet, as the contours of the footbed are slightly subdued compared to the classic footbed.

Birko-Flor and Birkibuc are two materials used for the upper materials of sandals, designed and coined by Birkenstock. They are both synthetic alternatives to real leather. Birko-Flor is vinyl on the upper side and felt on the underside. The vinyl offers a slightly smooth finish. Comparatively, Birkibuc feels more like a nubuck. It is also constructed of felt on the underside and the upper part is made of acrylic and polyamide felt fibers, a material that is lightly buffed to create a textured finish

We advise against getting Birkenstock sandals wet if you can help it. If they get a little rain on them it’s no big deal. Just make sure to let them air dry - do not place them on a furnace to dry. Some styles are waterproof or water resistant such as the EVA sandals, Honnef, or Stalon.

Some will and some won’t. Materials such as oiled leather straps will stretch slightly over time and wear. Suede and nubuck are more prone to stretching and you may need to tighten the straps after a time. Synthetic materials such as Birko-Flor or Birkibuc do not stretch.

While we are not doctors and cannot give medical advice, we have observed over the decades of being in this business that countless customers find relief in Birkenstocks. The combination of excellent arch and metatarsal support can help alleviate pain and discomfort caused by plantar fasciitis.

Absolutely yes! You’ll notice that there are two main width options in Birkenstock footwear: NR (narrow) and RG (regular). We list the options as Nr/Med and Reg/Wd on our site. That’s because Birkenstocks run wide, so the narrow fits more like a US medium and the regular fits more like a US wide. Some styles run slightly wider than others and some styles are only available in one or the other. When in doubt, opt for the RG width. It’s also worth noting that the rugged series run a tad wider than a typical RG sandal. 

Konrad Birkenstock (born in 1873), the great-grandson of Johann Adam Birkenstock, made the family’s first genuine shoe making breakthrough. In 1897 Konrad Birkenstock developed the anatomically-shaped shoe last. This innovation featured a rounded heel, a malleable sole, and it distinguished between the left and right feet. In 1913 he settled on an insole construction. In 1954, Konrad’s grandson Karl came up with the original BIRKENSTOCK “footbed sandal”.

Birkenstocks are mainly made in Germany. Some styles, such as their Papillio line, are made in Portugal.

Birkenstock actually started off by making cork and latex insoles coined “Fußbett” (footbed). Their first sandal style was the Madrid, which is a single-strap slide style, still available to this day in a variety of colors.

Birkenstocks are good for one’s feet for a myriad of reasons. The ergonomic and anatomically-friendly contours of the footbed are unique to Birkenstock footwear. The contours of the footbed align with the contours of the feet, offering arch support, metatarsal support, and lateral arch support. The cork footbed also helps with shock absorbency

Birkenstock footwear is handmade with high-quality materials. The cork is ethically sourced, the leathers are premium full-grain (not glued together in layers), and the shoes are carefully and expertly crafted. Birkenstocks also have a reputation for ergonomic design, which can provide long-term benefits for foot health.

The contours of Birkenstock footbeds should align with the contours of your feet. You want to make sure the arch support is under the arch of your foot and the toe bar should land in the crease of your toes (between the base of your toes and ball of your foot). The way they will look on the feet is with a hair of space behind the heel in the heel cup and a hair of space in front of your toes so the toes do not hit the front ledge or bump up against the front of closed toe shoes. Watch this video for more details.

There are different ways to clean your Birkenstocks depending on the upper material. For suede uppers, for example, we recommend using Lincoln EZ Cleaner with a brush or rag. For oiled leathers, we recommend using something like the Sandal Life Kit. To clean the suede footbed liner, first use 120 grit sandpaper to lift dirt and oils, then brush off or vacuum up the excess dirt. To further clean them, sprinkle a layer of baking soda on the footbed, let it sit overnight, and wipe out the excess.