The Birkenstocks I bought 25 years ago were  starting to wear out so I could justify buying another pair. The price was good for the Madrids that were available in my size so I bought 2 pairs - one in black and one in toffee. Almost 2 for the price of one. Both have Birko-Flor uppers which I wanted. Narrow width which is usually hard for me to find. Although it's still winter where I am, I've been wearing these around the house to make sure they're ready when spring actually comes. I got a couple of small hot spots on the top of my feet from the straps which I expected from the amount I've been wearing them, but they resolved quickly. The cork foot bed is super comfie so no breaking in for my legs or back. I'll be interested to see how well they are made now. But if they last half as long as my last pair, I'll be happy!  Just waiting for the snow to go now.