I have never been a fan of Birkenstocks, but I was living in New York City and walking everywhere, so I needed comfortable shoes. I originally wore FitFlops and thought they were very comfortable. But one day I saw the Gizeh style Birks and decided to give them a try. They are worth every penny. I love them. I got my first pair in the spring and wore them every single day until it got too cold. And then I got the clog style to wear in the cold weather. My first pair only lasted me about 2 years before the sole was worn down at the heel and peeling off in the front. They were in terrible condition, BUT I generally walked about 6 miles a day. I am not exaggerating when I say I wore them every day, so I easily walked over 1000 miles in them over the 2 years I had them. I didn't realize how much my feet hurt in other shoes until I got these and my feet felt great no matter how much I walked. When my sister came to visit me in the city, we walked 11 miles in a day. She had some horrible blisters, and I was perfectly fine. I decided to go ahead and order a new pair instead of having my old ones repaired. I have not been that excited for a package to arrive in a long time. I will still keep the old ones- you couldn't make me get rid of them, I will just have a "good pair" and a "bad pair".