Extremely disappointed in this purchase.

Here's why: There is thick plastic stitching protruding from the place where the strap meets the sole. These are like actual medical stitcheshard stiff and stitched individually. With stiff ends that stick out just along the seam. Imagine every time you wear the sandals that you searched out on Amazon that about 20 vicious and unrelenting needles poke into the soft part of your arch. You tell me. Does that sound like Birkenstock's definition of comfort? Do you enjoy blood coming out of your arches? Do you want to be tortured with every single step? Is it possible those reviews I read that said these aren't really Birks and that people were being fooled were right after all?

Okay, I thought as I wiped the blood off and wrapped my foot in gauze. I can fix these. So I tried to cover these seams with bandaids and moleskins. No dice--they poke through anyway. I have tried sanding them down with a nail file. Nope. Doesn't work. I'm starting to look for flexible caulk. Seriously. WTF right? Is that what it takes to get a decent pair of sandals?

I couldn't find these in my local store, so I bought them here. Dumb. Dumd. Dumb. Now I seriously doubt these are real Birks. I look at them and I am sick.  I have been wearing Birkenstocks for decades and I have never had an issue like this. Just awful. Avoid. Really.