I've had a pair of soft footbed Arizona Birkenstocks for the last 5 years. I felt like they lost their arch support over time so I purchased these- what a great buy!!! I was hesitant to purchase new Birks with a hard footbed, since I thought that they would be less comfortable and conform less to my feet. From the moment I put these on, it was like walking on air- I find them even more comfortable than the soft footbed since this one seems to have better arch support. They broke in very quickly (less than a day, if at all) and fit perfectly. I had a tendency to shuffle in the other Birkenstock styles because they slid off my feet when I walked, but these make me walk much better since the loop around the big toe keeps the shoe on my foot. I love these sandals! I normally wear a 8.5/9 and ordered a 40 Narrow in these. 39 was slightly too short and my toes rubbed against the inner edge.