“To be completely honest, I don’t really get it. Birkenstocks are practically just sandals, right?”

That’s what a friend of mine told me when I asked her about Birkenstocks. And frankly, I don’t really get it either. Are they super comfy? Are they really fashionable now? I had a ton of questions. So I asked some people around the university and did a little research about them.

I just wanted to find out where they came from and what makes them so great. Apparently, Birkenstocks have been around since the 70s and have faded in and out of popularity ever since. What really makes them comfortable is that the sole conforms to the foot, as Birkenstocks are made of cork. It seems pretty neat, but isn’t that same with every other sandal? I mean after a while, my flip flops have foot indentations, too.

The Birkenstock fad is only growing, and at the time I researched Birkenstocks as a fashion trend, I wasn’t really getting anywhere. Even now, as I’m writing this, I’ve seen at least five different people walking around sporting the sandals on their feet. I figured I’d ask my friend who loves them why there’s such a big craze over some overpriced sandals. Her response indicates she’s definitely pro-Birkenstock.

“Really, they’re just easy to use. They look better than regular sandals or flip flops but are still really comfortable. Whenever I feel like it’s just sort of a lazy day, I’ll wear mine.”

After researching the fad, Birkenstocks are the perfect balance between comfort and utility. It’s not that they look super good, but they don’t exactly look bad either. They’re kind of like UGG boots. In the end, I think Birkenstocks are here to stay, or at least until something more comfortable comes along.

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