I bought this sandal because 1. Birkenstock shoes are one of the best support comfort shoes and 2. the price. Sorry Birkenstock, but usually your shoes are kind of fugs! This one is very pretty and much less everyday-hippie-wear like some other styles. Whoever wrote the review that detailed the straps of these sandals as 'hard and uncomfortable' wasn't lying. In fact, I was really worried that I wouldn't be able to wear these shoes in. Fortunately, it didn't take all that long for the little straps to start to soften and mould to the movement of my foot. I'd say it took about three days, but can imagine others with more sensitive feet taking longer to adjust. Additionally, the straps of these sandals don't really touch my foot in all places when standing like other sandals do, which seems weird. I thought this would be a problem, but the longer I use them the less I worry.

By the way, those who have not owned a pair of this company's shoes might be interested to know that I have cranky knees from years of sports including 2 knee surgeries. When I wear these shoes, I can stand for 10+ hours on concrete floors with very little ache! They last years and are worth every penny. Not to mention, Birk is a great company!