Sizing

About Shoe Sizing
What Shoe Size Am I?
The Birkenstock Family Brands - Perfect fit in two widths
Wearing your Shoes for the First Time
Fitflop Sizing
Footprints Sizing
OKA-b Sizing
MBT Sizing Guide
Hunter Sizing Guide

About Shoe Sizing

In Australia, we mostly use the US system of shoe sizing. If you walk into a shoe retailer or department store and ask for a Women's size 9, you would be asking for a US Women's size 9.  At Bstore, our shoes are listed in either US or European sizing, depending on the brand (see special Brand notes below for the exceptions to the rule!).  Unlike US (and UK) sizing, European shoe sizing is unisex, and uses sizes ranging from the mid-twenties for childrens sizes right up into the high fourties (and beyond!) for large Men's sizes. To assist you in converting between European, US (Australian) and UK sizing,  you can refer to the chart below. As the difference between whole sizes is not uniform between the different scales, you may experience a slight difference converting between sizes.

What Shoe Size am I?

If you're not sure what size you are, we've produced a sizing guide which you can download and print to measure your size. We have used the Birkenstock European sizing as the base for this guide so you may experience small variations when converting to US sizing or with other brands.  To download the guide, click here (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar).

The Birkenstock Family Brands - Perfect fit in two widths

The Birkenstock family have been making some of the worlds most comfortable shoes in Germany since 1774. The Birkenstock Family Brands: Birkenstock Classic, Birkis, Papillio, Tatami, Footprints and Betula are each owner by a separate part of the Birkenstock family (to find out more about each brand, click on the link to go to their brand pages).

In order to provide maximum support, as well as fit a variety of foot shapes and sizes, the Birkenstock brands produce shoes in two widths: regular and narrow. Regular fit Birkenstocks are suitable for around 90% of people: those with medium and wide feet. The Narrow footbed shoes are suitable for people with extremely narrow feet. The Birkis brand has a slightly wider footbed than the rest of the Birkenstock Family Brands - as such, some of the range is only produced in a narrow fit for their shoes, as it tends to be a better fit for the majority of people.

If you have a pair of Birkenstocks, and you want to know whether they are regular or narrow, just look at the picture of the foot on the footbed.  A hollow foot  indicates a regular fit and solid foot indicates a narrow fit. Most Birkenstock styles are available in both widths - if you can't see what you are looking for, please get in touch with us and we can let you know if they are available for Special order.

Wearing your Shoes for the First Time

We recommend trying your shoes out on a carpeted surface first to ensure that they fit properly.  Bstore cannot exchange shoes that have any signs of wear.

For Birkenstock Family Brands, unbuckle all the straps and place your feet in the shoes.  Make sure your heels are all the way back in the heel cups.  The contours of the footbed should correspond to your own arches and the toe grips should fit comfortably beneath your toes.  Before you stand up, make sure there is approximately 5 mm around the front, back and each side of your feet.  You will need this extra room for your feet to move naturally in the shoes as you walk.  Buckle the straps.  The support will come from the footbed, so the straps do not need to be extremely tight.  A securely fastened to strap (where applicable) should be enough to keep your foot firmly in the footbed.  Other straps can be worn loosely to encourage the natural rolling movement within the shoe.

For many of the shoes we sell, the level of comfort that they provide may be unfamiliar to you and as they introduce new movements to the muscles in your feet and legs, you may experience a small amount of pain.  If you do, simply decrease the amount of hours in the day you are wearing your shoes until your body adjusts.

People often comment that the cork footbed of the Birkenstock shoes feels quite hard and rigid under foot.  The flexibility of the cork will increase with wear, and as your foot sinks into the cork over the first 2-3 weeks of wear, you will find that your shoes start to fit you like a glove!

Fitflop Sizing

Fitflops are designed in the UK to fit a standard-width UK foot. The webbing is designed to hold the foot quite high up across the instep and will not stretch over time. If you are between sizes and have a slightly higher instep height you will tend to need to size up whereas if you have a lower instep height you'll need to size down. The length of the sole is quite generous so going half a size down should not cause a length issue. To assist you with fitting your Fitflops, please refer to the measurements below.

Footprints Sizing

For the Footprints Brand, you will need to go up one (European) size from our standard sizing charts to get your correct size.

OKA-b Sizing

The OKA b brand uses a unique ranged sizing guide.  To convert between US sizing and the OKA b sizing, please refer to the chart below.

MBT Sizing Guide

It is important to realise from the outset that the MBT is not a shoe. It is a type of medical sports training equipment and its correct application determines its success.

As such, it is extremely important to choose the correct size of MBT. In contrast to normal shoes, the toes when wearing MBT’s, are allowed to almost touch the front of the shoe: the foot will naturally move backwards through the action of putting the load initially on the tilting edge. With normal shoes the foot usually moves to the front with each step (the breaking effect). If there is too much roll, blisters can form.

When your MBTs arrive we suggest you wear them around the house for an hour or so to be sure the size is right. The fit with MBT should be snug but NOT tight. Your foot should not be allowed to slide too much in the shoe. If it does move backwards and forwards in the shoe you may get blisters in which case the shoe could be too big or too small.

For MBT's, each style will have notes on its width to help you find a suitable shoe.  You will also find that MBT's have fractional european sizing to help you find a precise fit.  If you need help in selecting your size, please contact the Bstore Service Centre and we can help you with your selection.

When your shoes arrive and if you believe you have chosen the wrong size, please mail your MBT’s back to Bstore with a return form as per the instructions on our returns page. For MBT's only, we will exchange them for the correct size and mail them back to you at no additional cost (once only), provided the shoe has not been worn outside or is marked in any way.

If you are suffering from an existing illness or disability we strongly suggest that you get advice from a medical professional before purchasing your MBT’s.

Hunter Sizing Guide

Hunter boots have a wide fit, designed to accomodate thick socks when you are wearing them. For this reason, if you have a medium or narrow width foot, or or are between sizes, we recommend you move down one size. Hunter Boots are based in UK sizes, and for this reason have both a 35/36 and 40/41 when they convert to European sizes. To assist you with Fitting your hunters, please refer to the measurements below.