One thing that might matter to you, or not, is that they don't do half-sizes. I ended up buying the Mephisto impression of an open toed Birkenstock.
On Wednesday, June 10, 2026 at 2:43:00 PM UTC-7 Brian Turner wrote: > Following this discussion because like Ted, I too am Birkenstock curious. > Specifically the closed-toe variety like the Boston. > > I think shoes like the Bedrock Mountain Clog look really cool and seem > like they’d be great for cycling, but they seem to have little to no arch > support for those of us who aren’t blessed with normal or perfectly-formed > arches. > > In 2020, I was diagnosed with PTTD (posterior tibial tendon dysfunction) > and since then, I have to wear custom, deep heel cup orthotics with pretty > aggressive arch support. I can also get by with shoes such as Chacos that > have decent arch support built in - as long as I’m not doing a ton of > walking around in them. So, something that I would mostly be wearing while > cycling with adequate arch support wouldn’t be a deal breaker. Something > easy to slip on like a Birkenstock sounds really appealing. > > Brian > Lexington KY > > On Jun 10, 2026, at 4:34 PM, Coal Bee Rye Anne <[email protected]> > wrote: > > I still need to catch up on some threads including Patrick’s > Metatarsalgia discussion but as a longtime Birkenstock wearer I can offer > the following: > > > I have long and narrow feet. Wear size 16 in most sneakers but 15 in > other brands (such as Timberland) if they run large or as is often the case > 15 may just be largest available size. I ‘think’ my arch is average but > honestly not sure. > > Unfortunately, my size requirements limit Birkenstock availability as well > but I usually have a pair of Arizona sandals and/or Boston clogs. I’ve > worn both 15 and 16 US sizes in both models but preferred 15Narrow. I > hadn’t been able to get 15Narrow replacements after wearing out my last so > now have 15 regular. > > I’ve biked in both but prefer the closed toe of the Boston. The soft > outsole grips my flat pedals well but shreds up quite easily if using > spiked pedals. I have grip kings, VP-001, and some older cage pedals. > Grip Kings grip my Birks the least of all my pedals and I may drill/tap > them for set screw spikes someday but haven’t bothered yet. > > I think the biggest downside is just getting dirt/gravel/debris in the > sandals during rides. I may get less in the Boston clogs but then it can’t > work itself out as well as with the open sandals. With the Arizona I felt > my foot move around more in a less desirable way, especially once sweat > soaked, so prefer the Boston which just felt a bit more secure with foot > placement. I have not tried any Birks with heel strap, though I’ve wanted > to try some London clog/shoe. Budgeting and a minimalist desire has > prevented purchasing any more until I wear existing shoes out. Now they > have a much greater variety of footbeds and soles but at my size I’m still > limited in selection so never veered from the standard Arizona and Boston > styles. I’ve never actually had a pair or Birkenstocks serviced or > re-soled, despite best intentions, as there seemed to always be a lack of > ‘official’ or ‘authorized’ local service centers whenever I looked and I’ve > instead usually upcycled many of my old leather straps vs finding a local > cobbler to do a re-sole. > > I’ll also ride in sneakers or my vans, both laced and slip on, but trashed > my slip ons last year after they finally fell apart and have not yet > replaced. I must say my personal preferred riding shoe at the moment is an > old pair of Timberland earthkeepers side zipper black boots (old > discontinued city type boot) I’d replaced the laces with thick leather lace > with a permanent knot with short tag ends so leave them tied and > specifically use the side zippers. They just fit great with a thin pair of > wool hiking socks and grip the pedals almost similar to the Birkenstocks > but they are wearing thin and double as my ‘nice’ black shoes so I’ve > limited riding in them lately to extend their longevity as much as possible > and expect this summer will see more vans and Birkenstocks in my rides. > > In short, I do really like riding in Birkenstocks for short casual rides > with most flat pedals with a preference for clog over open sandals but as > someone who sweats heavily once they get saturated my foot begins to slip > around a bit more than I’d like so for longer and more aggressive rides I > still prefer socks and a full shoe/sneaker. > > One last note, with one single speed bike equipped with holdfast foot > straps and VP-001 pedals I’ve also successfully used my Boston clogs on > these but have gotten them stuck before when I lazily chose not to > re-adjust the straps from prior rides with my narrower toed Timberland > boots so had a barefoot stop on a few occasions with clog still attached to > the pedal. Usually with a standard flat pedal this has not been an issue > for me with open back sandals or clog falling off but it does occur to me > why a heel strap may certainly be beneficial either way! > > Brian Cole > Lawrence NJ > > > > On Wednesday, June 10, 2026, Ted Durant <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Hi all - >> >> Patrick's thread on Metatarsalgia prompted a few people to recommend >> Birkenstocks, and I'm Birkenstock curious, so thought it might be worth its >> own thread. >> >> What are your feet like? (length, width, volume, arch height, any >> specific. issues) >> What Birkenstock model(s) have you tried and how have you liked them? >> What models have you biked in, how has that been, and on what pedals? >> >> Thanks! >> >> Ted Durant >> Milwaukee WI USA >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "RBW Owners Bunch" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> To view this discussion visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/683e5908-ee9b-42b1-94ae-1077294b99c9n%40googlegroups.com >> >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/683e5908-ee9b-42b1-94ae-1077294b99c9n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "RBW Owners Bunch" group. > > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CABp0VCNXbr%3DKX_Qp3ooy4-WFBpbfJPd3mRnOAFnLCc5Hsej_nA%40mail.gmail.com > > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/CABp0VCNXbr%3DKX_Qp3ooy4-WFBpbfJPd3mRnOAFnLCc5Hsej_nA%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. 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