I bought a pair of Birkenstock Arizona sandals last month and everyone keeps saying they're super comfortable once broken in, but my feet still hurt after wearing them for a few hours. Is this normal or did I get a bad pair? How long does the molding process actually take?
The "they'll mold perfectly" narrative is kind of oversold - Birkenstocks do adapt somewhat, but they're genuinely not for everyone, and some people's feet just don't click with that particular arch support style. A month in with soreness after a few hours suggests either they're not the right fit for your foot shape, or you're ramping up wear time too fast. The molding process typically takes a couple months of regular wearing (like a few hours daily), but that's assuming your feet actually want to work with the design - some people never get comfortable because the cork and footbed are too rigid or the arch placement doesn't match their natural gait. If your feet are still actively hurting rather than just feeling "broken in," you might want to try insoles or consider that Birkenstocks might just not be your brand, which is totally fine.
The break-in thing gets exaggerated a lot, but there's still some truth to it - mine felt like walking on bricks for the first couple weeks, then gradually got way better as the cork softened up. If you're still hurting after a month, it might just be that your foot shape doesn't match what the Arizona's mold is doing. Some people's arches don't vibe with that particular footbed no matter how long they wear them. I'd give it maybe another 2-3 weeks of regular wearing before deciding if they're keepers, but honestly if they're actively painful rather than just stiff, you might want to consider a return instead of pushing through it.
A month in and still hurting after a few hours suggests your pair might genuinely not be the right fit for your foot shape - some people's arches or heel structure just don't align with that particular footbed geometry, no matter how long they wait. Before you write them off though, check if they're actually sitting right; a common issue is getting the size slightly off (they should feel snug across the midfoot, not loose), which makes everything worse.
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