I have many pairs of Birkenstock sandals and they are great. I wanted something navy or dark blue to go with jeans (I like my shoes to match my pants). One of the only blue pairs I could find were these Arizona Soft Footbed Denim Suede sandals.  Although the color was perfect, I did not like the soft footbed feature. (I've been wearing the regular cork bed for years, and that's what I'm used to.)Also, I didn't realize it from the picture, but the suede upper is not "stiff", but flops down, so that you can't just slip your foot into the sandal; you have to hold the straps up to get your foot in. These shoes are of the highest quality; it's just a personal preference on my part.  And as always the service and selection on Amazon.com is second to none!