The Birkenstockmeister
I had reason to visit the local Birkenstockmeister (seller of Birkenstocks) recently. I have a pair of sandals purchased on my honeymoon in Munich -- CHEAP! -- nine years ago and they've just about bitten the dust. Time for some new ones. And since I have no upcoming trip planned to the Fatherland, I must do my purchasing locally.
When I got there, the very nice hippie gentleman who waited on me showed me an identical pair to my old ones, priced at $80. OR, he said that he could refurbish my old Birkenstocks: recork, resole, whatever. And that would be $65. With the prices so similar, I asked him what the advantage to refurbishing would be. "Oh, well you could buy the new AND refurbish the old, and that way you'd have a pair just to kick around in."
Now, I may be Northwestern enough to have a good fleece, but do I really need "good" Birks and "kick-around" Birks?
When I got there, the very nice hippie gentleman who waited on me showed me an identical pair to my old ones, priced at $80. OR, he said that he could refurbish my old Birkenstocks: recork, resole, whatever. And that would be $65. With the prices so similar, I asked him what the advantage to refurbishing would be. "Oh, well you could buy the new AND refurbish the old, and that way you'd have a pair just to kick around in."
Now, I may be Northwestern enough to have a good fleece, but do I really need "good" Birks and "kick-around" Birks?
Labels: cascadianness, junk
posted by Courtney at 7:55 PM
7 Comments:
What is the advantage to refurbishing? Well, he'd have an extra $65 to put in his account. The real advantage is that you don't have to buy a new pair and recycle the old ones, using less material.
He's no hippie, just a slick salesman in a hippie disguise.
Depending on what is needed you could get a new sole for $35.00
http://www.footwise.com/Repairs/repair.cfm
No, I need the whole shebang.
N, good point about the hippie. Many a good hippie is ruined by capitalism.
Nah, dude and dude-ette,it's all about recycling, mahn. Do the Right Thing, reduce-reuse-recycle, mahn ... !
Actually, of course, with repairs that extensive, you are only saving the leather. But perhaps our fellow DQP (note to the rest of the world: not related to DQ) would thank you (in, you know, that zen space where we all exist as one and she is somehow aware of your Birkenstock choices ;) ).
I face the same conundrum. My answer? Buy more fly shoes at Goodwill for $5/pair, stop wearing out the Birks ;)! Woo woo! Not so great for my feet, but yay for the fabulousness quotient ;)! (And I find if I switch shoes regularly, my feet don't get anyone kind of cramp-injury, so it's OK. Right ;)?)
any one, not anyone.
totally confusing typo, sorry!
Brandy (the other DQP) would be all-cognizant and approving, since I buy the faux-leather (although I eat meat, so I should be more indidenous about it and use ALL parts of the cow, eh? Bad Cascadian!)
Yeah, I considered the impact. I figure any shoes that last me 9 years are environmentally ok.
;)!
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