These are my first pair of Birkenstocks. So this review is based on my initial reaction upon receiving them and I'll try to update it as needed.

In light of all the hoopla with Birkenstocks, I'm not sure if I could have helped from being somewhat disappointed upon first inspection. They do seem very nice, but I was somewhat disappointed by the fit. Even though I had read many reviews before ordering, saying you should order your normal shoe size, they still seem too long. I even went with a narrow width, although I normally wear medium widths. I will note that I like sandals to fit snug, so I sometimes size down some, but I didn't do that with these. So if you're in between two sizes, my recommendation would be to go with the smaller one.

I think the best thing about these shoes is that the leather uppers are very soft and comfortable. It's not that I didn't expect them to be, but I was still somewhat surprised by how much. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about the sole. While I don't think there's anything wrong with it, it seems a bit hard and I don't find it as comfortable as some people say it is. This is something that I know will probably change over time, but this is my initial opinion.

Overall, I think they're nice shoes, but I'm just not sure that they're as special as some people claim.