Birkenstock Makes Sneakers—Would My Flat Feet, Big Bunions and Aching Back Like Them?

• Aesthetics: 19/20
• Durability: 15/20
• Comfort: 20/20
• Design: 19/20
• Value: 17/20

Total: 90/100

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I only wear sneakers on the penalty of death. But little did I know that earlier this year, death would arrive. I was on my annual pilgrimage to Paris, motoring around the city walking a minimum of five miles a day in my trusty ballet flats. Two weeks into my trip, I found myself in a stone cottage in Burgundy, barely able to get out of bed. I called my sister, a physical therapist, in panic. WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME?, I asked, frantically. Your shoes, was her dry reply. Since then, I’ve been on a quest. Lifestyle sneakers that provided support for my flat feet and would keep my back from giving away…did these exist? My sister, long an acolyte of Birkenstock sandals, told me I had to try the Birkenstock Bend Low sneakers ($165). Here’s my review after a month of wearing them incessantly.

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Surprise, Birkenstock makes sneakers. (It was news to me, too.) The unisex design comes in six colors with a leather upper and the brand’s original, contoured, cork footbed found in their sandals. Design features include a deep heel cup that the brand says keeps the heel in its natural position and heel mold for stability. There are also interior and exterior arch supports to support the tarsal bones, plus a transverse arch support for the metatarsal bone to keep your foot straight.

The above qualities are a tall order, and I was skeptical. In my experience, I’ve always had to choose between 100 percent comfort and 100 percent style. My sister, Sydney, went to school in Los Angeles, where sandals are a way of life. She’s had a pair of Birkenstocks for six years and knows her way around the brand. I asked her to test drive a pair of the Bend Lows with me, so over the course of a month, we wore them everywhere, me in New York and her in California. I then evaluated the shoes on the PureWow100 scale, scoring them on aesthetics, durability, comfort, design and value for a total of 100 points.

I did the dumb thing. The first day I wore these shoes, I walked nine miles across NYC. When I kicked them off that night…my feet didn’t even feel tired. I was shocked. The most I had to complain about was the tongue. The leather is a bit stiff, so I had two tiny red dots on my ankles—but no blisters. Wearing thicker socks would have solved that problem. I’m notorious for not wearing socks, or wearing fashionable socks over functional ones. (This case was the latter.)

Sydney reported that while the tongue didn’t give her any issues, she most noticed the shoe’s stiffness at the back of her ankle. “It poked into my Achilles tendon periodically. Any sock higher than a no-show sock should make it more comfy,” she says.

There aren’t any glaring cons, but three small things I’ll point out. First is the price. The Bend Lows are $165 full price, which is a bit higher than other lifestyle shoes on the market, like Vans, Converse, Rothy’s, etc. For the comfort of the footbed alone, though, I think it’s worth the money. I have tried and cannot walk the same distance in those other shoes.

The second is that sizing can be tricky. My sister notes that for sandals, she typically sizes down, but this varies amongst her friends of all heights and shoe sizes who wear the brand. In our experience, the sneakers run true to size. However, do note that when looking at the size chart, Birkenstock varies from traditional sizing. A size 6-6.5 is an EU 37; I am always an EU 36. However, I went with their sizing and it was perfect. I’d just try them on beforehand, if possible.

Overall, I scored the Bend Lows a solid 90/100 on the PureWow100 scale. These are by far the most comfortable shoes of my entire life, and the design is something I’m comfortable styling with my majority dress-filled wardrobe. Most importantly, my back no longer feels on the verge of death, and my toes are no longer pinched.