Customer Reviews Birkenstock Bali Soft Footbed

Have worn Birkenstocks for almost 40 years and have always loved them and found them to be very comfortable. I have a high instep/arch. My feet never tire when wearing them. The ankle straps on this particular pair are not consistent and seem loose but from past experience with Birkenstocks I think after wearing awhile they will mold to my ankle. I wear a 6 1/2 and wear 36 in the Birks so didn't have a problem in sizing.

I bought these in black after reading positive reviews and I am not disappointed! I have worn regular Arizonas and Milanos for years and have found that they do take a while to break in. The Balis were really comfortable right out of the box and dressy enough for summer evenings. Finally, a black sandal that I can love. Plus, it was my first order from Zappos and the service was superb.

It took me a few days to get used to wearing these. At first, they felt loose and uncomfortable. But now they are my go-to shoes to wear at Disney World where I have to do a lot of walking.

I really like these sandals. My only issue is that the outside of the show angles up too much above the arch support. The arch support itself is great, there is just extra material that keeps angling up and it irritates the bottom of my foot. I am stretching it out a little each day and already it is better, so I am definitely keeping them. I have slightly wide feet, so I think these are just a smidge too narrow as is.

I liked the look of these sandals, but the ankle straps rubbed my ankle bones on both sides of my foot. Had to return them. Otherwise, these sandals were comfy, with really good support all along the footbed.

Even after this had stretched out, it's not as comfortable as the Birkenstock Milano. Because of the lack of an adjustable strap on the heel, the ankle strap cuts into my foot when I'm walking... I still prefer it to other dressy sandals made by other brands such as Dansko, because those shoes run narrow and the sole isn't as broad, which makes them less stable for walking. Wish they came in a 43, which would be a bit longer, although it's not crucial in a sandal. Kumfs are the next best thing to these, but don't like velcro closures as much as buckles. and Zappos has stopped stocking them for some reason (get them back!)

Beautiful sandal. fit was right on like all Birks, 38 fits my 7.5 feet perfect. love the soft footbed. for width, nothing beats Birkenstock. In this style I loved the back strap, but it was situated right under the ankle bone and it rubbed my ankle with every step. Had to send back for a different Birki style.

I wore these shoes to Italy, where we walked around 8 hours a day! No blisters and it was completely comfortable. These shoes were a full size too big, so I had to do an exchange. I am a small person and these shoes look a little clunky on me, but I still love them!

This sandal was a little too stiff in the leather and the foot bed for me. And I didn't want to bother with the buckle every time I put it on or off. Otherwise it is a beautiful sandal, great arch support, nice quality all around...just not for me.

Loved my very old Birks but can no longer wear footwear without a back of back strap due to nerve damage in left leg. So I was thrilled to see this model. Super comfy soft footbed. I generally wear a size 8M shoe and took a 38N in these sandals.

Reviews help a lot! I read all of the reviews for this sandal before making the purchase. The price is intimidating, but I don't mind paying more for a comfortable product. I have the hardest time finding any kind of shoe that I like and that comes in wide width. I always thought Birkenstocks were a little to mannish for me, but these sandals are very femine looking and I have received several compliments on them. There is a round metal fastener on the inside ankle that took some getting used to. I wore them around the house for a few days and now they are fine! They look great with painted toenails, too!

The "regular" width is really for men. In women's shoes, I'm a medium, but these were far too wide. A "narrow" width might work.

Nice shoe, really wanted it to work, because it was the first Birkenstock that didn't scream "old hippie lady in sensible shoes!"--- but alas, not for someone with skinny ankles. And the ankle strap is placed such that punching more holes in it wouldn't have worked effectively, either. So, if you are of the skinny foot, skinny ankles set, this one, even in Narrow, isn't for you.

I wanted to love these sandals. I really did. Birkenstock quality, Birkenstock comfort. But unfortunately not Birkenstock fit. The leather straps on these sandals are shorter than on the Milano, therefore, they didn't fit over the top of my foot. Since my feet often swell in the summer I'm not willing to risk tight shoes that can't be adjusted any bigger. If only the straps were about an inch longer! I'd have kept them for 5+ years like I did my Milano's. Had to send them back.

Gah! I was so excited and looking forward to these Birkies arriving! I tried them on, and ouch - there is a stud fastening the ankle strap to the back of the ankle strap (if that makes sense) and as soon as I fastened this sandal, it bugged me. I know if I had worn them for any length of time, especially in the hot weather, it would have caused the skin under the stud pain and blistering.

Love the sandal. The arch is just not high enough for the support I need. Do they make these with a high arch? Someone told me that now Birkenstock makes high arch sandals. Didn't they all used to be high arch?

I have pretty narrow feet, and even got these in a narrow, but the fit was so off! It was a bit longer than I expected, but beyond that, the toe area was WAY too wide!! I had enough room to fit at least 2 more toes in there.

Cute sandals, but I disagree with those who said to order a size smaller than normal. I wear an 11 and the size 41 was too short. Cute sandals, but my toes touched the raised tip of this style. Tried again with 42, but it was too wide. Will try the 42 narrow to see if it's any better.

I had to return these due to inability to adjust back strap (it was too big). I'm usually 9.5 Medium. I took these in 40 Narrow and they fit at first. But when I started walking, my heel kept slipping out of the heel cup, which makes landing back in it painful because it hits the outer edge of the sandal (edge of a concave heel cup). This could be rectified by the back strap being adjustable, but they are not. You'd think that the ankle strap being adjustable would help, but it doesn't; it only tightens/loosens the front part of the ankle (the back stays the same length). It's too bad because everything else is comfortable. I need my heel to stay in place for sandals.

Probably very comfortable - I ordered this sandal to wear with my khakis this summer. The leather is very soft and seemed to scratch easily. I usually wear size 8.5 and I ordered size 39 in these but it was too short so I returned them. Because they seem to scar easily I'm not re-ordering this sandal.

The straps on this sandal are significantly longer than other styles. I have worn the same size of Birkenstocks for 40 years and these were huge! If you have a thin foot, but wear a regular width, these might be too large for you. Unfortunately, I had to send them back.

Almost...but off in several ways, like length, width and comfort. These shoes are almost narrow enough if you buy a full size smaller than your regular size, but then they are a hair too short. They are almost comfortable if you can ignore the staples that secure the buckle to the strap. Who wants staple ends annoying their skinny feet? If my feet were easy to fit, and didn't need TLC, I would probably love these.

These are defective shoes! I tried two pair, and with both, the back strap was so far forward that I couldn't get my heel in the heel cup. This threw off the fit of the whole shoe, with the arch and toes hitting my foot at the wrong places. I would have given them an excellent all around if not for this.