Can Birkenstocks damage your feet?

Aside from the trendy styles and designs that Birkenstock creates, you might be wondering, if the brand also considers the overall health of your feet. Does wearing Birkenstocks actually cause damage or does it soothe certain foot issues?

Birkenstocks generally do not damage your feet. In fact, wearing them has a lot of benefits like soothing common foot problems, improving walking posture, nourishing foot muscles, and accelerating blood circulation. Plantar fasciitis, overpronation, and metatarsalgia are some of the foot problems it can alleviate.

If you are eager to know more about the benefits of wearing Birks and why it’s not damaging to the feet, you are in the right place!

Health Benefits of Wearing Birkenstocks

Birkenstock is not only known for its in-demand styles and designs but also for the significant benefits it can give to your feet. This is just to show how committed the brand is to giving you nothing but the best footwear experience!

  • Birkenstocks follow the shape and curves of your feet to ensure comfort and support. You are assured that every pair is created anatomically right. The foot’s bone structure and its specific functions are considered in the design for targeted support.
  • Wearing Birks helps to soothe many foot problems. The intricate design of every pair only shows that the health of your feet is a priority of the brand. It has cushion properties that lessen the harmful impacts of foot movements, like shocks and too much pressure.
  • Your walking posture improves when you wear your Birks over time. As the feet carry the body while standing, walking, and running, the structure of the footwear makes your stance stable. In effect, it holistically corrects the positioning of your spine when moving.
  • Birkenstocks encourage the nourishment of your foot muscles and joints. They are carefully created to hug every curve of your feet. This lessens the stress on your muscles and joints from moving. Think of it as if they are giving a soothing massage to your feet!
  • Walking using Birks accelerates the blood circulation in your feet. Many nerves and blood veins are found in the feet. Providing great support to them while walking is important to avoid poor circulation, resulting in swelling and discoloration.

Common foot problems that Birkenstocks can address

Not everyone has a well-functioning pair of feet. Some people have foot concerns that should not be neglected. Birkenstock does not overlook these by improving how their footwear fits everyone.

1. Plantar Fasciitis

Plantar fasciitis is one of the common reasons behind heel pain. Although the causes are not known yet, it induces inflammation of the thick tissues in the heel that can spread throughout the feet and legs. It manifests itself in stabbing pain.

2. Bunion

Try to feel the bottom portion of your biggest toe. If you feel a hard bump, it is a bunion. This is due to some bones growing beyond their positions. It can swell and turn red if it gets big, causing the tip of the toe to forcibly move toward the smaller ones.

3. Overpronation

If the arches of your feet lay flatter than usual when you stand or walk, this is called overpronation. This can increase your chances of getting injured as the foot muscles and ligaments get severely strained. Notice that the space between your knees gets smaller, too.

4. Metatarsalgia

Metatarsalgia causes pain in the midsection of your feet where the metatarsal bones are located. One of the major causes of this is having unsupportive footwear when walking, making it difficult to carry the weight of the body. As a result, too much pressure on the bones induces pain.

5. Peripheral Neuropathy

Peripheral neuropathy hinders normal foot movements because of the several damaged nerves in your feet. This is usually caused by diabetes and high blood sugar levels, physical injuries, and shingles, among others. The common symptoms are tingling sensation, numbness, stabbing pain, and loss of muscle strength and balance. 

6. High Arches

High-arched feet, popularly known as Cavus feet, are an abnormality that puts too much weight on the balls and heels. They can occur because of an inherited neurological condition. A manifestation of this is, when you are standing, the arches are curved higher than usual, resulting in too much pain.

Why Birkenstocks Are Good For Plantar Fasciitis

The heel of the foot is important for balance. But if you have plantar fasciitis that causes discomfort to your feet, you might want to wear appropriate footwear for your condition. Do not worry because Birkenstocks got you covered!

  • Birks have deep heel cups on the footbed that gently hold the heels. They provide adequate support for steady walking. Also, the depth ensures that your heels are lying comfortably on the footbed to avoid stabbing pain and aches.
  • To lessen the impacts of shocks, the heel part of Birks is padded enough to serve as an excellent cushion. It adapts to the shape of your feet to give the correct fit that, in turn, results in lessened foot stress.
  • Birks also have great arch support that directly connects to the heel. The high elevation of the arches may exacerbate plantar fasciitis by putting too much pressure on the heels. Fret not because Birks’ design supplies comfort to them through well-arched paddings.
  • A softer type of Birkenstock footbed is available as well. Aside from the classic footbed, the soft footbed is a great option for those with plantar fasciitis. The extra layer of foam padding assures you of durable yet snug foot support.

Why Birkenstocks Are Good For Bunions

Our feet are naturally curvy. But if you feel a very bulky one that looks like swelling found at the bottom of your big toe, this is called a bunion. Do not worry because Birkenstocks are highly recommended to be worn if you have this.

  • Birks have straps that you can adjust to better fit your toes and bunions. Bunions can be very restraining if too much force presses them. Thus, giving them enough space to move around can reduce pain and swelling.
  • The indented toe grip on the footbed protects your toe bones from possible injuries. The tendency of having your big toe pulled toward the rest of the toes is dangerous when you have bunions as they compress them side by side. Birk’s toe grip is perfectly made for this because it assures enough space between each toe.
  • Birks are wide enough to provide your bunions enough room to breathe. You would not want to inflict tension on your bunions while you are walking. This is why Birkenstock assures that its perfect fit leaves space for your feet to move around. In short, Birks won’t let your bunions feel very tight.

Why Birkenstocks Are Good For Overpronation

Getting the perfect footwear if you have overpronation is difficult. Not every pair is created anatomically right which may exacerbate your condition even more. Good thing that Birkenstock is attentive enough to consider this!

  • The interior and exterior longitudinal arch of Birks controls your landing. The flatness of the feet is susceptible to bad shock distribution when landing. This is why the arch is incredible as it serves as a cushion when you land.
  • The padding of Birkenstock footbeds is shock- and tension-absorbing to lessen muscle pain. The support that paddings can provide is perfect, especially if you move frequently, as it distributes the shock and your weight equally to your whole feet.
  • Birks have adjustable straps and buckles that you can change according to the shape of your feet. Overpronation should be handled delicately. Your affected feet should not be too restrained when walking. Adjusting the fit and grip of your footwear to your liking is advisable.
  • Because of the soft footbed, Birkenstocks encourage your foot muscles and ligaments to get warmed up. If you have overpronation, you should not overwork your feet. The softness of the footbed helps you with this as it assures unstraining contact with your feet.

Why Birkenstocks Are Good For Metatarsalgia

Remember that your feet support and balance your whole body when standing, walking, or running. Specifically, the metatarsal bones in your feet are responsible for this job. If you have metatarsalgia, Birkenstocks are perfect for you.

  • For extra support and cushion, Birkenstocks have a transverse arch that supports your metatarsal bones. It matches the natural arch of your feet for a patterned fit, making the distribution of your weight smooth and equal.
  • The soft footbed model of Birks is preferred for more comfortable support for your metatarsals. Lessening the pressure from carrying your weight is ideal. Following this, the soft padding of Birks is excellent for supporting your metatarsals. 
  • Birks provide your feet with a wide space to move around. Metatarsalgia, just like any foot concern, is restraining. This is why Birkenstock makes sure that the structure of its footwear hugs the foot curves and gives space for breathing and movement.

Why Birkenstocks Are Good For Peripheral Neuropathy

Our nerves enable our bodies to feel sensations and make movements, among others. Damaging them can lead to health problems like peripheral neuropathy, and our feet can be a target of this. If you currently have this, you might just need Birkenstocks to help your feet feel better.

  • The uppers of Birks have straps with a smooth and breathable inner texture. Because of the tingling sensation that someone with peripheral neuropathy can feel, the contact between the skin and straps should be soft and delicate. This is to soothe the feet from the pain from the condition.
  • The space for your toes is spacious enough to make small movements. Numbness can make your toes unaware of whether or not they are restrained from moving. Birkenstock assures that they can move just enough to allow good blood circulation, apart from the wonders that the indented toe grip can give you.
  • Birks’ footbed edge is elevated at the front to protect your toes from possible injuries. Numbness and loss of muscle strength can affect the sensation in your feet. The elevated footbed edge is an added protection to act as a barrier from any possible harmful contact with your feet. 

Why Birkenstocks Are Good For High Arches

If the arches of your feet are more elevated than usual, this condition may cause an uneven weight distribution, leading to strains on your balls and heels. To avoid this, Birks are great footwear to help you with high arches.

  • The arch mold of Birks provides your high foot arches with durable support. Although the arch might not exactly match the high elevation of your foot arches, the cushion it gives can better support not just your arches but also the weight carried by the balls and heels. 
  • The soft lining of Birk uppers can ease the tension on the upper arches of your feet.  The upper lining is soft enough to be in contact with the upper skin of the feet. This will reduce the friction that can inflame the skin when rubbed too much.
  • Birks have straps and buckles that can be adjusted according to the shape of the foot arches. As high arches are not elevated the same, correcting the fit and grip of Birks is recommended. Although this does not address the pain in your balls and heels, it can improve the condition of the upper portion of the foot arches.

Related Questions

Are Birkenstocks good for people with flat feet?

Yes. The arch support found on the footbed makes Birkenstocks good for people with flat feet. It endorses flexibility and adaptability as the flatness is encouraged to conform to the shape of the footbed. 

Are Birkenstocks good for people with wide feet?

Yes. Birkenstocks are good for people with wide feet because they ensure enough space while still effectively holding the foot when moving. The adjustable straps and buckles make Birks effective, too, because changing the fit and grip is possible that matches the wideness of the feet. Just remember to not go down a size to secure a comfortable fit.

Can Birkenstocks Damage Your Feet, Final Thoughts…

Birkenstock is a great footwear brand as it values both style and foot health. It ensures comfort, soothes common foot problems, improves walking posture, nourishes foot muscles and joints, and accelerates blood circulation.

You can never go wrong with a pair of Birks. However, always ensure that it is the right fit to avoid any issues.

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