(Mild hijack here)
Speaking of socks. I used to love those long socks women used to wear in bright, bright colors and patterns. I don’t see all that much of them any more, but on the young women, they looked so great!
Most of the women I know are either into Business Executive dress or semi-trailerpark trash casual.
Best shoes in the world. I bought the full shoe to wear when I worked as a professional cook. They saved my feet and my back.
TATERTOT!!!
Where is this Birkenstock outlet?
I must know!
Bad Honef, Germany, I’m afraid. But if you bought enough shoes, I’m sure it’d be worth the price of a plane ticket. 
Really, if anyone is planning on going, it’s rather a hit or miss kind of shopping experience. You can get or order any shoe they make there, but if you want the real bargains you gotta be flexible. But it’s well worth it, those clogs Dr. J was talking about go for about 30 bucks there (less, if you buy enough to get a tax rebate for Americans). I bought the “Arizona” style of sandals (the basic two strap backless kind) in black for just $20.
So, if you’re planning a trip to Germany anyway, it’s well worth making a small detour. It’s right around the Koln/Bonn/Dusseldorf area, which is worth seeing in itself.
loved them and wore them continuously during my first couple of years of college.
chacos, similar to teva, make a great “hiking” sandal that is actually contoured for those of us who have arches. (sweet jesus, you’d think from some sandals everyone had flat feet.) chacos can be resoled as well, and that is very important when i’m looking at buying a pair of shoes.
and, i have to say that while i’ve never tried doc martens, i’ve tried a similar and expensive brand, john fluevog. they make very comfy shoes that last a long time. i’ve designated my first pair as “studio” shoes, intend to get them resoled, and by another pair like them (there is no style obsolesence, in their basic shoe line. though they do design some pretty wild, very, very expensive shoes.
I skimped on shoes my first few years as a professional. Big mistake. Doc Marten’s are the best if you have to walk around in dark damp places on wet concrete, and even manage to look semi-professional. Birkenstocks are awesome for cleaner environs. I had some Ecco dress shoes, but the goofy plastic center part of the bottom kept falling out (on both pairs), no matter what I did to get it to stay. I used hot glue, epoxy, and all sorts of industrial glues and they just didn’t cut it. They were comfy, but not Birkenstock comfy. Maybe I’ll try them for hiking boots as long as they don’t have those stupid center thingys.
The Doc’s are great because they are durable and easy to clean, and you don’t slip. Nasty chemicals don’t hurt the soles, either.
I live in Park Slope Brooklyn, too, so I have a pair of Birkenstocks.
I really hate those sandal ones though, so I bought a nice pair of walking shoes. Contrary to what some of you may think, they are rather stylish. Loads of people have asked me where I got them and have been surprised to find out they are Birkenstocks.
To see them, go to http://www.birkenstock.com/pages/OpeningPage.htm , go to “shoes” and find the shoe called “Derby”. I bought them in black. They cost a pretty penny, but they can be resoled, the leather is top notch and they look fabulous with jeans, especially if you’re a little bit Eurotrash (like me).
They do take awhile to break in, but soon they’ll be prettier than your natural feet.
I love my Birks, and I live in them, but only when the weather is warm , because I’ll never wear them with socks.
I was absolutely devestated when, earlier this year, my footbeds cracked right through after ten years. Then I realised, hey, they lasted ten years! My average for a pair of shoes seems to be two years.
I tried to replace them, but they only make that style in (shudder) pastels now (at least in California that’s all they sell), and I either don’t like the other styles or they look too big on my tiny feet.
After two months of fruitless hunting for a pair of non-Birks to replace my beloveds, I broke down and paid the $50 to get new footbeds. My feet love me again.
And I’ve managed to convince my MIL that she needs a pair for work (she’s a nurse). Knowing her, everyone in the ER will be wearing them in a few months.
My work here is done.
SaxFace–the Derby was the exact shoe I was considering for the dressier ensemble. (I wear scrubs about half the time and a shirt and tie about half the time.) The thought of paying $185 for a pair of shoes tears at my very soul, but I’m starting to see the light.
Dr. J
Hmmmmmmm…just took a peek at the “Derby.”
So. Do people in the streets shout “Hans Brinker!” at you when you walk by?
Am I the only one who absolutely cannot wear Birkenstocks? If I walk for more than two blocks in them, I end up with the world’s worst foot cramps. They’re damn near the most uncomfortable shoes I can imagine putting on my feet, right up there with stiletto heels or those flip-flop things with the thing you have to wedge between your big toe and second toe.
Sorry, but I’ll keep my Docs. I haven’t worn a different brand of shoe since 1991, except for when I’m jogging. Hell, I almost wore my Docs to my senior prom. Mom didn’t let me.
I wore flannel in high school, and I’m not a lesbian.
That was when grunge was HUGE and EVERYONE wore flannel, every girl I knew, practically.
I couldn’t wear it now, though. I’m too sick of it…I used to steal all my dad’s shirts!
I have since discovered chenille sweaters-boy are they SOFT!
I live in my Birks and Doc Martens. I also wear socks with them as well. If someone thinks it is ugly, oh well, my feet don’t care.
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Boy, I didn’t realize there were so many Dopers from Park Slope, my ancestral home town. (Yes! I went to PS 321. Yes, I remember when Pino’s was in its first location! Yes, I remember when Little Things was but a wee shop rather than an empire. Yes, I remember when there was a biker bar on the corner of Garfield & 7th!) Hurrah for Park Slope! (I live in Ann Arbor now)
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All I can say is that I love them!!!
Doc J - $185 is steep BUT, as my mother always said, “you only have one set of feet for the rest of your life. Take care of them now and you’ll be able to walk until you’re 100.” Here’s a lovely example of what some people’s feet look like from wearing crappy shoes:
(warning, not for you sensitive-types): http://members.nbci.com/_XMCM/ElkesFeet/epbimages/elkeonline/html/index.htm
I’ve had the Derby’s for about 3 years now and they still look new. They’re a good long term investment - look at it that way. Since you’re on your feet all day, I would wholeheartedly recommend them.
Uke, for that comment, the next time we go to lunch I’m going to wear my shoes and put them up on the table for all to see. Sorry, revenge is my middle name.
rmariamp: Uke, Biggirl, Houseman (Biggirl’s husband) and I live in Park Slope. Moe used to, but he moved away. Come visit!
Drain Bead,
You are not alone. I have a pair of white Birkenstock sandals purchased for my brother’s wedding.(I could NOT find any other variety of white sandal that fit my feet, my feet are too wide to get any at the stores at the mall, and I didn’t have much time to locate a “good” shoe store.) But, they hurt my arches, and have given me blisters.
Hi soulmate!
I don’t know if he still makes them, but back in college I knew a girl who had a pair of the John Fluevog Sneaker-pumps. Comfort AND fashion! Chanel even ripped them off the next season, if I remember correctly.
I should add that I don’t think shoes HAVE to be either pointy or painful, in fact they shouldn’t be. The hammer-toe shit that Skribbler was talking about is totally true. BUT Birkenstocks are truly hideous. Period. They are sooo ugly. The way that tacky suede oozes up the side of the foot-sweat-soaked corked platform to embrace what is generally a poorly-pedicured foot just gives me the shivers.
I couldn’t believe how many labor & delivery nurses wear those things. They claim they are comfy and all the gross stuff washes right off. I have heard some Birk afficianados say that new sandals have to be broken in and may not be comfy at first. That’s a deterrent for me.
My husband has long been a Clark’s fan. He wears Wallabees. $120 bucks a pair, ugly as sin, popular among the over-70 crowd. But he loves them. We got a pair for my dad, as a gift, and now he is a convert. He’s too cheap to buy them for himself, but they solved all kinds of foot problems. Husband also has a pair of Ecco boots, and loves them.
Me, I was still limping along in my “Hey! Look what Target has on sale!” specials, when finally a girlfriend convinced me to try some Eccos or Mephistos. I bought two pairs of Eccos last summer and they have ruined me for other shoes. Too bad their winter styles don’t fit my sense of fashion (what little I have). The salesmen assure me that other brands made in Europe may fit just as well. I’d rather shell out $80 or more for a few good pairs that fit like a dream than continually buying $20 pairs in the endless search for a shoe that doesn’t hurt.
Cranky, my birks have all been comfy from the get-go. In fact, I thought that it was never a good idea to buy a pair of shoes that must be broken in. I don’t think any one brand of shoes is going to be a universally good fit for everyone. Even with birks, different styles seem to be more or less comfortable.
What gives me the shivers is how much attention you seem to pay to other people’s feet! 
“I’ll have a Beefeater martini, very dry, pate de foie gras, faisan sous cloche, salade endive, fromages et fruits et demi-tasse. And bring some rookwurst and bitterballen for the Little Dutch Girl, here.”