text: This sandal is great. The initial break in period is a bit of a pain but just go slow and wear them for a few hours each day and within a week or two you should be able to wear them around the clock. My major complaint about these shoes is that bottom soles on my first pair wore down to the cork within 6 months and now I need to look at getting them fixed. They should last way longer than than but in defense of the shoe, I did wear them every single day for those 6 months. I now have a second pair so I don't have to be without while I repair the first.<br /><br />I did buy both pairs at a local store however. I attempted online ordering of these and they arrived clearly worn. It isn't hard to tell with Birks - after about a day you'll see an imprint of the foot on the footbed. So be careful when buying online and be prepared to send them back because you may end up with a pair that was a previous return.<br /><br />As for sizing, you'll likely end up wearing a size slightly smaller than what you are used to. I wear a 38 in Birks which is a woman's 7 (I normally wear an 8 in most shoes). My husband wears a 42/men's 9 when he is typically a 10.5. Keep that in mind when ordering,