Birkenstock Feet First

I went in to this very small store for the first time planning to purchase at least one pair of birkenstocks. There were 2 workers and 3 other customers. I was there for a good 10 minutes, picked up a couple of options to try on. Not one word of welcome, not one acknowledgement, not one offer to assist me and not one word as I walked out. I have no need to spend my money at an establishment that does not practice courtesy.

First time I went was an EXCELLENT experience. 5 stars, no reservations! Second time I went I worked with a different clerk who was impatient, distracted and rude. He walked away while I was still asking for color/size of shoes, and came back with wrong size, then acted like I was being unclear. I was one of only two customers in the store, and there was another employee working, so he wasn't overrun or anything. It's not a store you can shop without help (the shoes are kept in the back, so a clerk has to get your size for you), so service of clerks was really important. Store is well organized, clean, generally welcoming, and intuitive to navigate. It lost a star from me for what was probably one employees bad day.

I went in to Birkenstock Feet First today, looking for a work shoe or boot. I’d never been in before and never owned Birkenstocks. I was surprised to see that they have many other brands in this store. I was greeted immediately and asked if I wanted assistance. The associate, Mary, was very polite and helpful. She recommended shoes based on my needs. Every shoe I pointed out she happily went in the back and brought out my size. A couple of the shoes I picked they didn’t have in my size. So she brought out a different color and said if I liked them she’d be happy to have a pair transferred from another location. I was there for quite some time and tried on around 8 pairs. Mary never got frustrated. She remained determined to help me find the right shoe. Unfortunately I have long, narrow feet with a very narrow heel and everything I tried on was too wide in the heel. I found one shoe that was perfect except that it was about a quarter inch too short and pressed into the tip of my big toe. Mary asked another associate, Reba, if that brand does half sizes. They don’t but I considered purchasing the short shoes anyway and asked about the return policy. Reba said it’s 30 days but they have to be in brand new condition to return. They can’t have been worn outside. But she said I could wear them around my house and decide if they’d work for me. But she said in my case, a shoe will stretch on the sides but not stretch to be longer, so I decided not to make a purchase in the end. My only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is that Reba then told me that many women have narrow heels and all the shoes in their store are comfort shoes which have a very rounded heel, making it feel loose. I need very secure shoes for work and the loose feel was the reason some pairs didn’t make the cut. I might have spent less time trying so many shoes had I known to expect that. At the same time I might not have done anything different had I known. I just found it odd that in the whole experience there was no discussion about the shape of my feet or the fact that I probably should have stuck to narrow shoes. In the end, customer service was great. Mary and Reba were both polite and attentive. It was very busy while I was there (always 2-4 other customers browsing and trying on shoes). And the whole time Mary kept checking on me and asking what I thought of the pairs I’d just tried on and bringing out more that I’d just picked out. I never had to look for her, she always came to me. Lovely experience. Unfortunately they didn’t have anything that works with my feet and job requirements. I would go back if I were in the market for some comfortable everyday shoes.

First purchase of berkenstocks so not a lot of knowledge on sizing. Am a size 8.5-9 and was given a 39 EU. Blisters after first day. Employees are kind and helpful, however, check a size chart beforehand. Otherwise they will just try to sell you whatever they have in stock.

I went to the store with the full intention of walking out with new shoes on my feet. I wanted to be measured for Birkenstocks and sincen... it's in their name I figured it was the place to go. I did get measured. The just did not have my size or the shoe I wanted. They offered to order it from their vendor or transfer it from their sister store. I'm sorry if you don't have what the customer wants when they want it... they will move on... and I did. While at the store I witnessed another patron com in and cancel her order. She stated to the clerk that the reason she was canceling her order was because she did not want to wait. I ended up ordering the shoe from an online competitor that offered next day delivery. Does the store have great shoes 100% YES! It's having them IN STOCK that seems to be a challenge. I temper my review that if I had more time to wait for the shoes or was coming in for a size that was more common I may have had greater satisfaction.