My honest review of Birkenstock Boston Clogs, the ultimate everyday shoe.

Why I tried it

My first pair of Birkenstocks lasted me about 10 years and that would be the sandal you would catch me in every single day of the summer. Those shoes unfortunately broke last year. I recently took a trip into the Birkenstock store and found a pair of Bostons on sale so I decided to buy them and see how I liked it. I’ve seen a lot of people style the shoe with casual outfits across all the seasons, so I bought this hoping that this would be my go-to shoe year-round.

I also wanted to see how comfortable this could be for wearing in and around the hospital. I have a number of co-residents and attendings that wear Boston clogs (or the dupes), so this is also an experiment to see if this could be my next hospital shoe.

What I loved

After the break-in period (more on that in what I didn’t love), these are hands down the most comfortable shoes I have ever owned in my life. As a surgical resident, I spend a lot of time on my feet and I’m always looking for the best possible shoe that can keep my feet comfortable for 12+ hours a day. I bought this pair at the start of the summer and they’ve quickly become my every day go-to shoe for walking my dog, grocery shopping, running errands, sometimes going to the gym (if all I’m doing that day is weight lifting), running to my car because I left something; you name it, this shoe has been my go-to for the last few weeks.

I would say this is a more refined version of the classic Crocs. I own several different pairs of Crocs and they are comfortable, but they don’t quite fit every situation. Because these are made with a suede leather upper, they look a bit more elegant and refined.

I also have large feet. I wear either a women’s size 10.5 or 11; in Birkenstock I usually go for a 42 or 43 depending on the shoe. For these, I decided to go with the 42 narrow. The standard Boston has a very wide toe box and I’m not a woman that’s trying to be out here looking like Bigfoot, so something’s gotta give! The narrow still gives me the roomy Birkenstock shape without making the shoe look overly clunky on my foot. That said, I probably should have gone up to a 43 because when I wear socks, it feels like my toe is pushing up against the front of the shoe. When the time comes to buy my next pair, I’ll be going with a 43 Narrow.

What I didn’t love

My feet were on FIRE during the break-in period, and not in a good way. There was one day I wore the shoe for about three or four hours straight while I was cleaning my house… HUGE mistake. I was struggling to walk for the rest of the day and about one or two days later. It almost felt like delayed-onset muscle soreness after a really challenging workout, except instead of my arms or legs, it was my feet. I was literally limping around my house.

Of course hindsight is 20/20 becauseI looked up how to break in a pair of Birkenstocks on Reddit. From the threads I read, many people suggested wearing them for about an hour a day then gradually increasing by an hour until you’re able to wear them for a full day. With my grueling break-in schedule, my shoes were comfortable by day four; with the Reddit taper method, it seemed as though most people found the shoe to be comfortable after around one or two weeks; I don’t have time for that, but if you do, you could definitely avoid the foot pains that I had. 

Who I think it’s for

Anyone who wants to feel like they’re walking on Cloud Nine when wearing a clog-cstyle shoe. If you’re a big fan of Crocs, but want a shoe that looks a little bit more elevated and refined. This is the one that you must have in your closet.

The verdict

Rating: 5/5 ★★★★★

Bottom line: Your feet may hate you for the first couple of days/weeks you own the shoe (depending on how long it takes you to break it in), but after that they will thank you forever — I know mine do 😂. If you need a shoe that you can slip on while running your errands and still look chic, go buy this. 

If you own a pair of Birkenstocks, how long have you had them for and did your feet hate you when you were breaking them in? What’s your go-to shoe, let me know so I can add some more variety to my closet!

With love,

Ash ♡