I originally purchased a pair of Birkenstock Boston Mules (also called clogs) sometime last year from eBay. And one reader asked for a review…so here it is over a year later lol, I apologize for the delay 😂. But I had made a mistake in my sizing. I thought I would wear socks with the mules so I went one size up (to 39). Nope, those shoes ended up being way too big and didn’t stay on my feet. (For reference I’m a size 8 normally and wear the size 38 in both the Arizona sandals and Boston clogs from Birkenstock). So back to whence they came. And finally this year, to prepare for some camping (which is where I had envisioned using these Birks the most), I ordered a pair in my current Birks size from the RealReal (for $36!). So here is the review of the Boston mules now that I’ve worn them a bit.
I never for the life of me would have thought these Birkenstock Boston mules would be fashionable or ever in style. But I started seeing them around online and couldn’t help but admire their homely, ugly-shoe style. But when I found myself trying to wear socks with my regular Birkenstock sandals during camping, I knew it was time to get a pair of the mules. And once I got the right size (which is so important because otherwise your feet slides and your toes “bang” the front of the shoe with each step), it really was the perfect camping shoe—easy to slip on and off and doesn’t get your feet dirty. And then I started wearing them outside of camping because they’re so darn comfortable. I probably wear them most in the backyard when I’m gardening but also to the grocery store and such. But I’m still not going to wear them out to dinner since they are decidedly a very casual shoe. Yet sometimes you just need a comfy clog that you can throw on.
Also I love that Birkenstocks are nearly indestructible, except for the soles that of course eventually wear down. But then you can just take them to the cobbler and they can put on a brand new sole and it looks as good as new (except way comfier because the shoe itself is already broken in). The picture below is of my Birkenstock sandals before and after resoling.
I love my Birkenstock mules so much I’m thinking of getting another pair in a lighter color, especially after seeing all the styling inspiration below. I’ll probably continue to stalk the RealReal though the Boston mules surprisingly hard to find even at retail price 🤔.
all via Pinterest
Anyone else have the Birkenstock Mules and what do you think?
{January 2023 Update: I love my black Bostons so much that I really wanted to try out a more neutral color in suede. Well I got a pair from Zappos but they only had the shearling lined ones and in narrow sizing. But it was worth a shot. And well, I have slightly wide-ish feet and they were not comfortable for me. Add the shearling and it was just a super tight fit. I’m also not a fan of shearling since it would make the mules harder to keep clean. So back they went. I’ll just stick with leather black Bostons for now (which I’m wearing everywhere, rain or shine).}
Black in regular width and light tabacco in narrow width
{March 2023 Update: So I bought another pair of suede Bostons, again on the RealReal, in a really bright green color. I normally would not have gone for them but I’ve been wearing my other Bostons to work and they really are the most comfortable shoe. So I thought I would try something different and add color to my wardrobe. I have to say, since these are gaining in popularity I can no longer find them in the $40 price range used. Even on the RealReal, I purchased the green ones at $100 (they retail for $160ish) so I wouldn’t say it’s a great deal. Also I realized I’m not a fan of the suede because it makes it more difficult to just slide your feet in. The suede tends to collapse so you need to use your hands to get these shoes on. Thus I much prefer my regular leather version. Then I visited a Birkenstock store in Marin Country Mart and I got another pair of Bostons in the lighter color leather (it’s called Tabacco Brown). These are also a narrow fit (regular footbed) but unlike the shearling version, these narrow fit ones work just fine. It is slightly narrower, but to me they feel about the same. I would say the narrow version stays on my foot slightly better than the wide ones, even though I have wide feet. My preference between the two when I’m walking long distances is for the narrow fit Tabacco brown ones.}
{April 2023 update: I found this how-to guide on cleaning your Birks (specifically the Bostons) suuuuuper insightful. All my Birkenstock shoes aren’t quite there yet so I’ll hold off on buying those cleaning products, but I’ll definitely be referencing this down the line.}
{October 2023 update: My love for my Boston clogs are still strong! I actually ended up wearing them all summer at work because they’re just so comfortable. I now wear the black regular width Boston clogs to my daughter’s soccer practice where it’s always muddy. I save the Tobacco Brown ones for “nicer occasions” lol. Also this article from the NYT explains the popularity of Birkenstocks (on the advent of their IPO) pretty well.}