Shoes

[Fionna]

It is not just shoes. Have you seen the price for handbags. 

[Maloyo]

@Annabellethecat66  I vaguely remember reading the following about the Birkenstock shoe wars, LOL. 

Apparently, one of the family wanted to start having cheaper and more contemporary Birkenstocks made to expand the line which he wanted to manufacture in China.  Original Birkenstocks are made in Germany and/or IIRC Spain.  The old school members of the family were against this since they felt it would cheapen the brand, but apparently they couldn't totally stop this one family member.  So they agreed that he would slightly alter the name (I don't remember the change) to differentiate the new from the old, without losing the connection to the old.  

This was years ago and I don't know if it continued although whenever I saw Birkenstock shoes for years after I read this, I'd look to see where they were made.

[Annabellethecat66]

@Maloyo Thanks for the info.  I have a feeling those were the one's offered by HSN.  They were (if I remember) which don't count on my memory, they were even called some form of Birkenstock's but they are slightly different.  The guy who sold them had an accent and everything.

Anyway, you should see some of the amazingly beautiful Birkenstock shoes I bought from QVC back then.  You can't buy them anywhere.

I even have two different colors of Birkenstock which have the QVC emblem on them in honor of their anniversary of QVC something or other (again...my memory).

I spent two days shopping shoes in Denver with my daughter (our thing together) and I saw lots of name brand shoes who were along the lines of Birkenstock but not Birkenstock.  All but one of them was plain.

Most of the Birkenstock shoes I see in the shoe stores (real Birkenstock) are the one's that are like when I was a teenager (crunchy) leather and plain.

Mine are all different colors and designs, very colorful.  I have always said I have almost 100 pairs (most different) but looking at the large plastic tubs of them it's more like 80 or so of them.  I don't like to exaggerate and I did count them at one time.

I wish I could post pictures but I can't figure out how to do it (like some of you here).  I recently took some pictures of them in the plastic tubs because my physical therapist asked me about them.

I just love shoes, all shoes.  When my granddaughter was 2 years old I was with her Mother and Aunts and said, "Emily (granddaughter's name), "Grandmother isn't sure, but I think this is a little what Heaven looks like".  Ha!  (We were in DSW shoe warehouse, one of my favorite places).

Now I take Emily and her sister (Emme is now almost 16 and her sister is almost 15) to DSW and I mainly buy them shoes.  Sometimes we leave there with 2 or 3 pairs each.  

I think it's because no matter how fat I get my shoes still stay the same size.  Although when I got married I wore a size 8 1/2; but after my first baby (7 years later) it seems that my feet started to grow and grow.  Now I'm wearing a size 11 and it's not as easy to find that size.

Plus I have two new knees but they don't hurt, it's my back that is very, very (even more very) painful.  Birkenstock shoes seems to make it easier for me to walk.

Most of the shoes are sandals but I probably have 15-17 pair that are closed toe Birkenstock shoes.  Some are wild flowers (closed toe), Mary Jane's Birkenstock.  

Can you tell I still get excited talking about shoes?  Ha!  I've shopped the web and with REAL Birkenstock offered on line or in stores they're still plain.

Take care and thanks again for the information.  I do think I remember something about what you said.  And I do have a few pair of Birkenstock shoes I'd bought from HSN but they just feel a little different.