Birkenstock Soft footbed vs Regular (Quick Facts)

Birkenstocks regular footbed vs. soft Footbed

If you are facing difficulties choosing between Birkenstock soft footbed vs regular shoes, then this article is for you. We shall help you to get a brief comparative idea between the soft and regular Footbed in this article. And you may decide to collect which pair of Birkenstocks suits you.

The Birkenstocks shoes are developed in such a way that it grabs the foot perfectly and stop its sliding motion over the Footbed. This is done by making a unique feature of the Footbed. The part of the shoe on which the foot is placed is called Footbed. Before going into regular vs. soft footbed discussion, let’s get a brief idea about the Footbed of Birkenstock shoes. This will help to get the difference and choose from the options.

Birkenstock Footbed Features:

Birkenstock master shoemakers have been dedicating themselves to foot health for generations. The Birkenstock footbeds are developed based on the structure of the foot. This structure distributes the weight of the body evenly to all the parts of the sole of the foot. Thus, it provides support during the rolling motion of the foot. These ideas have resulted in the footbed design with its unique features. 

Birkenstock Soft footbed vs Regular (Quick Facts)
Birkenstock shoe footbed Features
  • The deep heel cup gives stability to the foot upon hitting the ground and gives the heel bone the correct orthopedic position. 
  • This is followed by the heel mode raised sides that give the heel additional support and guidance.
  • The longitudinal arch support strengthens the inner arch of the foot.
  • The transverse arch supports the mid-foot and combats the play foot. The raised toe grip provides purchase and stimulates the toes rolling motion. 
  • The footbed edge saves the toe bar and the foot. As a result, the anatomically shaped structure spreads the weight of the body evenly across the entire foot.

Birkenstock Footbed Design Materials:

The Footbed of Birkenstock is made with four natural products, namely cork, latex, jute, and leather.

Birkenstock Soft footbed vs Regular (Quick Facts)
Birkenstock shoe footbed Design Materials
  • The cork and latex core make the midsole of the Footbed. This cork and latex footbed is the main part of the Footbed. They are light, give the foot support, ease, and shock-absorbent capability.
  • The midsole layer is placed between two thin integrated layers of jute. These two layers give the footbed long-term sustainability and stability. 
  • The final layer is a suede lining of leather covering all three layers. This suede lining absorbs moisture and creates a pleasant feeling for the foot. 
  • These four sustainable natural products and the orthopedic expertise of the experts make the Birkenstock footbed.

Birkenstocks Regular Footbed VS Birkenstocks Soft Footbed (Differences)

Now, let’s come to a comparison between different types of footbeds. Birkenstock has mainly two types of footbeds, namely regular and soft. Keeping this generalization stick, they have variations too. “Footbed” is one of the main reasons people buy Birkenstock shoes. Birkenstock shoemakers tried to implement the sand footprint on the shoe. Their first attempt was regular footbeds. Firstly, let us discuss the regular one. 

Regular Footbed

Regular footbeds are also known as original footbeds. Its design is the same as the general Birkenstock footbed design consisting of four layers (cork, latex, jute, and leather). Here are a few pros and cons of regular footbeds.    

Regular Footbed Pros:

  • The shape of the Footbed does not change over time. 
  • The Footbed provides long-term ease and sustainability.
  • The Footbed presents excellent arch support.
  • This Footbed is even suitable for those who feel slight pain in general flat shoes. 
Birkenstock Soft footbed vs Regular (Quick Facts)

Regular Footbed Cons:

  • Regular Footbed takes a good amount of time to break in the shoe.
  • You need to wear the shoe a number of times with a time interval to fit with the foot shape.
  • You cannot start wearing it for a longer period of time just after having the shoe.
  • You have to start wearing the shoe for 1/2 hours and gradually increase the wearing time day by day. 

Soft Footbed

After the original Footbed, Birkenstock brought a new variation in its Footbed. The reason was to reduce the break-in time of the regular Footbed. They named it Birkenstock soft footbed. The regular Footbed was developed using four layers. On the other hand, they added an extra layer along with the previous four layers in the Soft Footbed. This is one of the main differences in Birkenstock soft footbed vs regular footbed. This extra layer is a natural rubber-type foam padding. This foam padding is an anatomically shaped foam inlay that is placed in between the suede lining of the leather layer and the flexible latex and cork mixture layer. Soft footbeds can also be identified by seeing the blue stamp color. 

Birkenstock Soft footbed vs Regular (Quick Facts)
Soft Footbed (Containing extra foam layer)

Soft Footbed Pros:

  • Breaking in soft footbed shoes is easier than regular Footbeds. Break-in time is much lower than regular footbeds.
  • Soft Footbed is suitable for people having flat, sensitive, and hypersensitive feet. 
  • People having medical issues in the feet and low arches will feel better in soft footbeds. 
  • The extra foam layer which cushions the Footbed contains millions of air bubbles. These bubbles make the shoe more relaxing and comfortable.
  • You can use the shoe right after taking it out of the box. 
  • People have the misconception that soft footbeds are so soft that it doesn’t provide a basic supportive experience, though it’s not true. Soft footbeds are soft, that’s true, but they also provide the necessary support to hold the feet to the Footbed. Soft Footbed is an optimum combination of soft as well as supportive footbed nature. 

Soft Footbed Cons:

  • As soft footbeds have an extra foam layer, it might take a longer time to exactly fit with the feet.
  • People who like to wear slightly hard footbeds might feel discomfort with the Soft Footbed.

After the above discussions, you can understand the basic features as well as the pros and cons of regular and soft Birkenstock footbeds. The fundamental difference between the two types of Footbed is the extra foam padding layer in the soft footbeds placed in between the cork and leather layer. Other than this, all the features of regular and soft footbeds are identical. 

Birkenstock Soft Footbed vs Regular (Recommendations)

  • Whether you buy regular or soft Birkenstock, keep in mind that it will take time to break in the shoe. So first, wear them inside your house first. After that, wear them for several hours at multiple intervals. Take time to break in the shoe and it will last longer than usual. Start using the shoe after your feet have been placed inside the Footbed having a little space around it.
  • Some people get panicked and think that birk shoes will be ruined if they get wet in the rain or any other way. But don’t worry !! Birks don’t get ruined in water. If it’s wet, then make them dry in natural sunlight. But remember not to keep the shoe in extreme heat. Keep the show away right after it has dried. Otherwise, it may get discolored.  

In the end, you have to understand that everyone’s feet are different as well as choices and preferences. Both regular and soft footbeds provide necessary support and ease of use. They both are long-lasting and have their own pros and cons. Thus, based on your preferences, choices, comfort, and feet condition, you have to decide which one you want to buy for yourself. There is no binary “good” or “bad” answer behind choosing anyone from the regular and soft footbed shoe. 

I hope this article has helped you understand the difference between Birkenstock soft footbed vs regular and decide which one your feet need the most. Just go to the shop and buy the perfect pair of shoes you are looking for!

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