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Green Eric
March 10, 2016
The most comfortable professional shoe you can buy!
I've had over a dozen pairs of Birkenstocks, with at least five of them being Londons. I have always had jobs where I was on my feet a lot, including bartending and teaching, so comfortable shoes are very important. (Teaching also explains why I have had so many Londons - sandals just don't look professional enough for most teaching positions.) I'm now starting to battle gout, so the need for comfortable shoes has just jumped exponentially. I've tried wearing athletic shoes and light hikers, but the Birkenstock cork sole quickly conforms to your feet in a way that no other material can and you quickly have a shoe that fits your foot like it was made for it.I've seen a lot of reviews that complained about how tight the London feels when it is brand new. This is normal because of the materials the shoe is made from. Both cork and leather will break in, providing the perfect amount of space in the shoe for your foot. If the shoe came with an already perfect fit, it would quickly feel too large as the material broke in. Remember, the Birkenstock's secret to comfort lies in the fact it will conform perfectly for your foot! Agreed, the break-in is uncomfortable, but quick. When I wear the shoe for years of blissful comfort, I barely remember the break-in.A note on Birkenstocks in general: I have had one pair of Birks that I didn't like. It was the Arizona, which does not have a heel or heel strap. When wearing a heal-less shoe, I had to curl my toes all the time to keep the shoes on my feet. This was the only time I've found a pair of Birks uncomfortable. I recommend you always get a pair with a heel of some kind.As far as durability, I wore Londons when I taught in a native village near the Arctic Circle in Alaska. I have found that as long as you keep the leather protected (I use a beeswax product) it does just fine in occasional wet conditions. I make sure they're sufficiently dried every night. They're not as durable as hiking boots, but who would expect them to be? When worn for teaching, I expect a pair to last a few years. I have had several pairs resoled (just the rubber part replaced) and worn them even further.If you're up for a few days of break-in, I think you'll find the London an amazingly comfortable, professional shoe. I bet my feet on it!
✔ Verified Purchase
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George Estrada
November 16, 2025
Great shoes
Accurat description,Excellent quality, best price, perfect fit, definitely recommend to family and friends, fast delivery, placed on reorder list
✔ Verified Purchase
Toss the sneakers
I work 12 hour shifts standing on a concrete floor, and my feet are absolutely battered, even though I have been wearing shoes with an incredible amount of cushioning. So I'm trying another strategy and going for a roomy toe box and lots of arch support.I always change into Birkenstock Arizona sandals first thing on arriving home, so it occurred to me to look for a closed-shoe style of Birks that would be allowed at my job. I chose suede because it's easier to break in. (Birkenstock oiled leather will eventually conform to your feet, but it never really seems to get soft. This is fine for sandals or slides that I'm in and out of on my free time, and it's extremely durable. But it's not something I want to attempt at work.)The Londons in suede break in quickly. When I took them off after wearing them for the first time, I could already see them starting to form to my feet. Today I am wearing them for the second time. I put a little alcohol on the parts of the uppers where I tend to have problems to help them stretch, and I'm wearing them around the house and for short dog walks with no issues. Tomorrow I will try walking to the store in them. Soon after that, I'll try them at the job. I'll update if there's a problem. But don't expect an edit, this has all the earmarks of a very comfortable shoe.The subject of the toe bar has been brought up here, and I want to say that this style doesn't have one. I don't think a toe bar serves any purpose with a closed shoe, as your toes don't have to grip in order to keep the shoes in place. And if your feet are a little "off model", a toe bar can be painful. It's an easy fix - just hammer down the offending segment of bar - but that's only possible with sandals.They're typical Birks - they won't give the appearance of a small, delicate foot by any means. They remind me of Bostons. There's some spread in the front, creating a kind of duck-footed appearance. It's OK. I'll take funny looking shoes over continuous foot pain any day. If you're worried about your appearance, consider the faces you're probably making when your feet feel like they've been run over by a truck!Highly recommended for anyone who is on their feet for long hours, has foot issues, or wants to prevent foot issues!
✔ Verified Purchase
Birkenstock shoes are my go-to shoes for long standing and walking
For you novice purchasers there are a few caveats. When brand new, they arrive too stiff; you have to break them in. This London-style are especially stiff. There is a lot of substantial leather and the soles were made for long-time wearing so people be patient. Upon my first fit, I had difficulty buckling them and when I did it was hard to bend my feet for walking, but because I've been wearing Birkenstocks for 45+ years, I know what to do, take the time to break them in. After 19 days of wearing for an hour or so 2 to 3 times a week, the buckle now knows where to go, I'm now comfortably standing and walking for several hours a day in them, but I still can't wear them all day, yet. I know that day will come. My only disappointment is the heel counter rise (aka Achilles tendon protector) is weird feeling. I still don't know if I like this protection. Also, there seems to be too much space between the arch and the heel counter, but my experience has been once they are broken my feet will mold to the cork inner sole. When I start to wear my usual thick socks, I'm confident that one day soon, I'll have another pair of Birkenstock shoes that will last for a good 20 years.
✔ Verified Purchase
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Amazon Customer
June 29, 2019
Great shoes, a little smaller than usual.
This is my third pair of these shoes. They're great for my retail job, my high arches, and my gout prone feet. This pair is tighter than the other two were. Only "American" sizes were left, but how can a size 9 vary from a 40? Aren't they all made to the same standard? Either way, Birkenstocks remain the best shoes for my feet.
✔ Verified Purchase
