This is about the sixt pair of Birkenstocks I got, which already indicates that I find these sandals absolutely comfortable, even if worn a whole day standing and walking. Additionally, they are usually extremley longlasting so that I find the price difference to imitates acceptable, especially as they are due to the firmer sole much more comfortable to wear for many hours. My experience with the Birkoflor material (soft textile fleece-like inner layer and fake leather outer surface) is though that it starts to break and rip at the buckles after some years. Depending on the model you choose (buckles?) and how often / how many years you plan to wear those, you should weigh the cheaper Birkoflor against the real leather models where the first thing coming apart after several more years will be the soles.