I've been a loyal Birkenstock owner for years. As a kid growing up in Portland, Ore., Birkenstocks were the only way to go!

This is my third pair of Arizona soft-footbed sandals... it's not so much that they wear out as that, living in warm, humid Florida, I find they get funky and grimy over time, and need to be resurfaced or retired. For the soft-footbed pairs, resurfacing is almost as expensive as a new pair, so I just buy new.

If you've never owned a pair of Birkenstocks: they feel great as soon as you put them on and the cork begins to conform to your feet within a matter of days. Within a week or two, you won't want to wear anything else. The toe bar helps keep your toes in position, and the cup for your arch is comfortable even for someone almost completely flat-footed like me. They'll slip around on your foot a hair while you're walking, but if you find that it's more than a little bit, you may want to get a narrower pair.

If you are wondering about the soft footbed vs. the regular footbed: I found that the soft-footbed are, obviously, more comfortable. They're better suited to wearing barefoot, where the classic footbed may be for Oregonians and Germans who like to wear them with socks. :-) On the other hand, the soft footbed gets funky and needs to be cleaned a lot sooner.

My only complaint about the Arizonas is that the straps over my right foot are a little too loose, and can't be made any tighter. I take them to the cobbler and have him punch a new, higher hole in the leather.

These are wonderful sandals. I wouldn't buy anything else.