The major difference between Duckfeet and Birkenstocks is that Duckfeet’s design gives enough room for your toes to move, such that air is easily accessible to your feet, while Birkenstock produces footwear that is designed to have corked footbeds fashioned with layers of jute and suede.
Duckfeet is a Denmark footwear brand that has been in footwear production for over 40 years now. The brand is famous for the minimalist foot form design that it offers.
This upper and the midsole of Duckfeet design are made of vegetable-tanned leather, which naturally does not allow moisture build-up on your skin as it takes it away.
This way, your feet have space to breathe. A cool thing about this brand is the ability of the outsole of its shoes to be resoled in cases where there is a need for it.
Birkenstocks on the other hand is a German footwear manufacturing company that is popular for the production of its brand of German sandals.
Duckfeet vs Birkenstocks: Which is Better?
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Duckfeet is better. But again, you should know that it is also true that the better brand between Duckfeet and Birkenstocks is relative to the unique needs of users.
However, it is also logically correct to say that Duckfeet is better. This is because, statistically, it has a wider range of acceptance than Birkenstocks.
Most fans of Birkenstocks started experiencing their displeasure with the brand after the 2020 pandemic.
There have been some changes in some of the brand’s footwear that do not sit well with many users. This has caused quite a huge slash in meeting the users’ needs.
Many footwear brands have been coming up. While some have been in existence for decades. Others do not live to see the light of more than a few years.
This is primarily because of the different efforts made by manufacturers towards being effective in solving customers’ needs.
Although, Duckfeet has its shortcomings too. But not as much as Birkenstocks. It is only cool that the brand is relatively very much strategic towards meeting core foot needs, such that keeps them on a scale of maintaining relevance even though Birkenstocks has been existing years ahead of them.
And here is why Duckfeet is better
- Duckfeet are wider than Birkenstock
- There is a lot of size inconsistency with Birkenstock
- Duckfeet enhances foot mobility better than Birkenstock
Duckfeet are more wider than Birkenstock
Birkenstocks have failed to listen to the constant demands from its age-long fans. For some time now, these customers have been airing out their preferences to be the regular width Birks.
Although, for some valid orthotic reasons, some designers may want to make adjustments to their shoes’ designs for customers’ benefit, and that is understandable.
But when shoe designs are adjusted in a way that becomes uncomfortable to the wearers’ feet, like in the case of Birkenstocks, then it becomes a problem that should be looked into. But Birkenstocks seem not to be doing that any time soon.
Size inconsistency with Birkenstock
There is one major thing that gives many shoe users their earliest thrill; fit. Regardless of whatever good feature that a shoe has, all effort ends in futility when a good fitting is not met.
This has been one of the major problems with Birkenstocks recently. I have been a big fan of the brand for almost half a decade and have not had problems since. There has been a change in the tide of things recently.
And this is most certainly because they have sold a large portion of their stake to some private equity firm. My regular size 39 of Birkenstocks became ridiculously too small. I tried sizing them up, but they became too big.
I had to quit because I was left to pick between two unfavorable options.
Duckfeet enhances foot mobility better than Birkenstock
Apart from the fact that Birkenstocks contribute to weakening your feet’ musculature, it also plays a major role in limiting your foot mobility. And this results from the thick soles and the intense arch support from their design.
There are exactly 33 joints in the foot which allows for the possibility of limitless foot movement. And all of these connect to the entire posterior chain of the feet – the pelvic floor, glutes, ankles, and knees. This becomes tempered, the use of stiff-soled shoes.
When a certain Duckfeet shoe was compared with Birkenstocks, it was discovered that the Duckfeet shoe allowed for a move through the range more effortlessly.
Whereas, it was the opposite case with Birkenstocks. Slipping your foot into Birkenstocks puts your feet into a fixed position.
Although you’d get a little flexing and bending as you walk, that would not be sufficient enough to keep your joints and feet robust enough to deal with the stress of an active foot. And you gradually lose your flexibility when you do not make use of it.
What are the similarities between Duckfeet and Birkenstock
The fitting, sizing, and other features of both Duckfeet and Birkenstocks differ. However, the fact that both brands have some distinctive differences between them does not mean they do not have some extent of notable similarities that puts them in a type of conformity.
Below are some of the similarities of both brands.
- Except for their Sandal designs, both have shoes that are Ugg
- Both have heel support
Except for their Sandal designs, both have shoes that are Ugg
Birkenstocks and Duckfeet have some of their shoe design that is made with materials that help to keep the feet warm. Most of which are made from sheepskin.
It is one of the commonly worn functional footwear in Australia. It is used for the promotion of their supreme national culture and used by many.
Traditionally, it is often crafted to be worn during the winter season. Ugg shoes are one of the most versatile shoes.
And as such, they can easily be trimmed to fit any kind of look for different kinds of settings that range from; formal, semi-formal, and informal.
If you are not very observant, you might mistake some of Birkenstocks Ugg’s designs for Duckfeet.
Both Birkenstocks’ and Duckfeet’ Ugg shoes have a high rate of acceptance because of their design and appearance.
And the outsole of both brands of Ugg design gives good traction. It does more good to Birkenstocks though, because it reduces the extent of the stiffness of the midsole, which in turn increases the foot flexibility of one wearing Birkenstocks.
Both have heel support
Surpassing the technical differences of both brands, both have a good and healthy extent of heel support.
Unlike other brands that barely make room for heel support as they mostly undermine the importance, both Duckfeet and Birkenstocks designs are made for relief from lower back pain traceable to the heel balance that comes from the heel support of the footwear.
Differences between Duckfeet and Birkenstock
- Birkenstock use leather for its design while Duckfeet use wool
- Duckfeet lacks sufficient arch support while Birkenstocks has excess arch support
Birkenstock use leather for its design while Duckfeet use wool
Birkenstocks uses quality Marino leather for the production of its footwear. The material used here lives to the fullness of its quality because of the gentle production process that helps it to retain its original property.
Sometimes this brand adopts the use of textile material apart from the quality wool that is synthesized from pure merino wool.
It is also true that pure leather delivers unparalleled comfort in the world of footwear. And this provides all the natural qualities that are sought by every person that wants to have a feel of good shoes. The tannery of the leather used here mostly stops at a second or third-generation tannery.
Duckfeet on the other hand makes use of cowhide that is processed through fourth-generation tannery. And the leather used for Duckfeet shoe production is the TerraCare leather.
This is one type of leather, quite different from that of Birkenstocks that are specially created following through some sets of environmental value.
And this value goes to form the best available leather production standard. It is a fact that both Duckfeet and Birkenstocks adopt leather use. But their respective tannery and pathways of environmental values differ.
Duckfeet lacks sufficient arch support while Birkenstocks has excess arch support
Duckfeet has been designed with so much flexibility to an extent where it is lacking in providing sufficient support to the arch.
Birkenstocks on the other hand pay excess rigidity to their shoes’ outsole to an extent where foot flexibility becomes a problem, leading to stiffness in the foot during movement, and goes to cause foot pain.
Why you should buy Duckfeet
You should buy Duckfeet because it is flexible enough to allow for maximum foot movement and does not result in stiff feet that occur from the use of other tough shoes that are very rigid.
Duckfeet gives your feet some room to have access to air space. Duckfeet has sound traction that gives you balance and also works for faint improvement.
The upper and midsole of Duckfeet are designed using vegetable-tanned leather which eradicates the possibility of moisture build-up as it can dry off water content from its good breathability. Plus, this type of design that makes it easy to be resoled gives you the ability to style the sole to your taste.
If you care much about functionality and minimalism, then you should opt for Duckfeet as it has been handcrafted to deliver these to you with much ease.
Plus, I have experienced a situation where an insole I tried to use in a certain shoe couldn’t sit well. I discovered it was because the shoe’s footbed wasn’t compatible with insoles.
But it is easy to slot in any type of insole in your Duckfeet as there is no built insole to give you the rigors of incompatibility.
It is just cool to find out that the Duckfeet is crafted with a neutral leather footbed. There is no inherent support for your arch, the footbed naturally conforms to your arch and supports it. With a shoe as such, you can easily
Why you should buy Birkenstock
The rigidity of Birkenstocks is not a call to boycott it. Understand the uniqueness of your person as an individual and go for what works for you. Not a popular opinion.
For example, a person with bunion needs to have his toe areas in place and not constantly shift from side to side so as not to escalate the foot problem. Birkenstocks become the ideal choice here.
And, you should consider buying Birkenstocks if you are heading for uneven terrain. Softer footwear will easily deform when subjected to hurdles in places like this can most likely get your arch injured. You would need a shoe that stays true to shape regardless of impact.
Although I have kept my Birkenstocks aside, for now, I do not hesitate to use them when I’m heading for the aforementioned terrain.
Parting words
When it comes to footwear, “better” is only relative to the uniqueness of who gets what brand of shoes. While a certain shoe may serve a set of people well, that same shoe will not quite suffice for another set of people.
However, there is always a popular take that statistically determines the popular definition of what a “better” shoe is. As such, it is only advisable to not go with popular demand.
But let your decision be made on a sound understanding of the functionality of a shoe, and how it is compatible with your foot type and demand. Until your decision is made on this basis, you are highly susceptible to choosing what may not work for you.
Nonetheless, this tasking analysis has been made easy to help you make an error-free choice of footwear. I am certain this will serve you better.
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