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If there’s anything in common between me and you (the reader) it’s to be rockin sandals as much as summer (and our circumstances) will allow.
Compromising on the quality of your sandals can take away years of warmly memorable summers.
Resources abound when it comes to finding those hot deals on sandals, and there’s more than one factor to consider in your sandal buying process, from foot support to the fashionable aesthetics, and the range of materials they’re made of from recycled automotive tire rubber to tried and true leather.
1) Don’t skimp on arch support. With functionality as the primary objective, your feet should feel stellar in your new sandals during your hikes. If your feet aren’t being nurtured, those sandals are just poor flops (pun intended) despite how trendy or fashionable they may look. About.com included the Keen Men’s Rilato 3 Point sandal in their top 9 walking sandals when considering a number of men commenting on the pair having good cushioning and arch support. A Keen pair may be pricier than Birkenstocks, but you can see if there’s a current dip in price on Amazon here.
2) They should be durable. While this is probably a no-brainer, if the manufacturer of your sandals cut corners on the materials used, there’s the added risk of them quickly breaking apart. This is one check-off to be impressed by, especially the market’s Cambodia recycled tire sandals for inspiring other sandal makers to “go green”.
The shoe’s history is interesting to say the least. Around the time they were first popularized in the days of the Vietnam War, it was hard to find materials for shoes, but rubber discarded off of tires from trucks was easy to get. While these shoes aren’t easy to find, you’ll need some pliers to get the straps adjusted for the best fit. Greensoul shoes has gone public with the help of a 2011 Tedx talk by speaker Alastair Ong (founder of Greensoul shoes). Plus, a needy child is given a pair of Greensouls for anyone that makes a Greensoul purchase.
3) Different environments call for different footwear. City dwellers love their Birkenstocks. and it should come as no surprise; they’re a choice balancing act of oh-so-sweet heel cups, suede and leather that give your feet a hug like your go-to socks. Though you’ll want to think twice sporting Birkenstocks on tough hiking trails, as they’re rather notorious for getting smelly and stained. Birkenstock Arizona was ranked #2 on About.com’s 2018 list, and you can grab a pair here on Amazon.com.
Birkenstocks- Free Marketing vs Consumer Marketing
Birkenstocks doesn’t really have to rely on scheduling discounts through the year. Supporting this, in a 2014 interview on the CBS Morning show, Birkenstocks CEO, David Kahan, stated that “we do no consumer marketing whatsoever“, and that “the amount of media coverage we get from editors of fashion magazines and people who follow fashion is phenomenal“.
Basically, if the company needed to strategize any marketing budget (assuming they have access to decades of sales data to compare to), you would know that sales must be declining, thus the need for allowing retailers to schedule Birkenstock sales. Have we seen any of these sales lately?
They’re kind of like Weber and their rank among the BBQ crowd; Birkenstock management sees themselves as a sort of cream of the crop, and that consumers continue to buy their product for retail prices. If I’m just speaking out of my rear, please let me know in the comments. But, they’re a deep rooted brand from the 1700s with years of time for refining their shoe and its features (like the so-called footbed) and the comfort aspect of wearing them.
So, do Birkenstocks ever go on Sale?
Short answer is yes. Though with Birkenstock sandals, it’s a matter of how they’re classified- seasonal or year-round. Unfortunately for the deal seeker, their footwear is known to be year-round, so the end of summer doesn’t guarantee a sale on Birkenstocks. In fact, you may be waiting around longer than you’d want.
If there’s a place you’ll find these deals, it’s Rue La La. They claim to offer up to 70% discounts on “must-have brands”. No cost to a membership (they require your email), and you can shop for a specific style like the Birkenstock Madrid and the Arizona, for near 1/3 the regular price.
Another opportune place is warehouse clubs. The sizes and styles they stock usually aren’t much, but the discounts on them are usually very worth it (even as low as 1/2 off).
Although Amazon.com may not seem like the best place for sandal deals on the surface, there are some indirect ways to get cheaper Birkenstocks. Occasionally, Amazon allows you to reload ($100) to your amazon gift card balance to get $10 back on Amazon. Plus, if you’re a Prime member and use their Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature card, you should get back 5% (check the fine details on the card first).
If you’re a woman aiming for Birkenstock boots, Shoes.com currently has four different styles listed (1/2 off!) within a price range of $89 to nearly $115.
For the online snipers, searching on eBay for new or new in box Birkenstocks (in your size) offer potential deals (check feedback scores of each seller to minimize any scams). Interestingly, people do buy used Birkenstocks even with the issue of the previous owner molding in the shape of their feet in the cork footbed.
How about you- what are some of your favorite ways to getting a great deal on sandals? Have you gotten Birkenstocks cheap online somewhere before? Let us know down below.
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