Customer Reviews Birkenstock Milano - Oiled Leather (Unisex)

The Milano Oiled Leather sandal is about the best sandal you can find, after you dial in the best fit. I wear a 10 D in most dress shoes, sometimes a 10 1/2 D. The Milano that best matches a size 10 D (43) was a bit long and a bit wide for me. The best fit for me came from the Milano that corresponds to an American 9 1/2 D (a 42). I wear it with all three straps a bit loose, as Birkenstock suggests, and the comfort is impressive. The rear strap helps keep your foot securely in place when you are walking fast or hiking on a trail. BREAK IN PERIOD: The Birkenstock website suggests wearing the Milano only a few hours a day for the first week or so. The arch support is MUCH more pronounced than many shoes, especially sneakers such as the Chuck Taylor, most Vans, etc. As your feet adjust to that extra arch support the bottom of your foot may be a bit tender for a few days. If you wear your Birkenstocks for two or three days a week, within a month your feet adjust and you miss that great arch support when you go back to your Chuck Taylors. It violates fashion law to wear socks with sandals, but the Milano is especially comfortable with wool hiking socks, both during the break in period and whenever you are taking long hikes or when you are outside in cold weather. Birkenstock supplies special cork sealer for these sandals. You apply it to the exposed cork surfaces every two months to keep to cork from drying out. It takes just a minute to keep your Milano's fresh. NOTE: a few years down the line you can replace the cork bed with a fresh bed and you can also replace the rubber outer sole. Replacing both and keeping your original leather straps costs less than buying a new pair and you keep your original leather straps that have molded so nicely to the shape of your foot.

These shoes have great arch support and are very comfortable. I found the regular too wide; it's better suited for a man's foot. The narrow was good.

This is my second pair of Milanos. The other pair is the soft footbed Nubuck version. Personally, I usually can't wear shoes with the original footbed and they are way too hard and painful for my feet. However, I did want these shoes, anyhow. I added 2 layers of padding, and they feel OK. I like the oiled leather uppers. The only other thing of note is that these shoes are unisex. (unisex shoes are designed I think to fit man's average width and woman's wider widths.) This means that if you are a woman with narrow feet these shoes won't fit. On the other hand, if you are a woman with C and D width feet they may fit pretty well. I wear these shoes in the winter with wool socks. All the straps are adjustable, but it may be difficult to find the perfect adjustment for the back strap if you are a woman with a relatively narrow or average heel. I like these shoes because they provide great support and stability and are (as adjusted) quite comfortable.

Love them! These are my first pair of Birkenstocks, and I really am kicking myself for not buying these puppies earlier!! I bought the Oild leather (as pictured above) and the color is true to what is pictured. Same finish, same color. Shipping came FAST! 3 days and they were on my porch, Thanks ZAPPOS! I suggest you go and get fit tested at a local store before ordering. I sure am glad I did, because I most definitely would have gotten the wrong size. I wear a 9-9.5 tennis shoe in US, and I happen to fit PERFECTLY into a 41 UR, which is like an 8. So, if you cant get to a store to try them, I suggest sizing down.

I've been wearing Birkenstocks for over 20 years now, although I'd never tried this style. What I wanted was a pair that I could wear with socks, that wouldn't slip around on my feet too much. I used to have the Bostons, and now have a clog pair like that, but, when I wear socks with them, I just don't like walking in them very much. I figured these might be better, since they have extra straps. So I put them on yesterday, and I just did not want to take them off. Figured that was a good sign that I should keep them. I've only done a little bit of walking around on the street with them, but so far, so good. I am a bit embarrassed about wearing socks with sandals, but oh well -- I like comfort. I did get the sandals in black so they'd match my socks. I do think that without socks, however, the straps on these would rub on my feet too much.

Overall comfort is excellent, my only problem was the side bone of the foot (midway back on the foot) became so irritated that I was not able to wear the shoe. The footbed needs to be widened slightly. I love the comfort of the show and am sick that I cannot wear them.

I bought my first pair of these in Germany in 1988 and wore them until they fell off my feet about 10 years later. I don't know why I waited so long to buy a second pair. They are just as comfortable and fun as I remember!

Love my new black Birkenstocks. true to size and very comfortable. Zappos makes it easy -- free shipping and free returns! Wouldn't order from anyplace else.

Always perfect. It's the ONLY shoe my husband wears and has been for nearly 20 years.

I haven’t had Birkenstock’s since high school. Believe it or not, they were THE shoe to have around that time. but I miss having comfortable sandals so I sprung for the pair I had always wanted back in those teenage days! I’ve only had the Arizona and the Ghiza in the past and I must say that the heel strap on the Milano is really nice. It really holds on your sandal securely without squeezing too hard. I know my size well in Birkenstock but upon putting them on I was reminded that with Greek feet like mine, the big toe ridge always feels a little bit distal to where it should be. So it takes a little break in time and a little getting used to. Other than that, the length and width are great. So now I’m cool again. Or dorky again. I’m really sure which it is, but my feet feel fantastic.

I find it difficult to select the right size for me in Birkenstock sandals and shoes. I’ve read all the size tips on the internet but still have problems. My normal shoe size is 8.5 and 9 in running shoe. In the past I ordered a size 40 in the Arizona men’s sandal Which I have worn for years. This time I took the advice of another reviewer and went up a size to 41. The fit with the third strap in the back is great. My foot doesn’t slide forward anymore and the arches seem to be in the right places. The strap in the back seems to make a world of difference. Sandals stay on better too. Will be ordering another pair of Milanos. Wish they had more color options.

I’m a 6.5 but know Birkenstock’s run a bit wide so at first I ordered a 36 which fit my width but my toes hit the front guard. I returned for a 37 & although they are a bit wider than I would normally wear, the length is perfect & the looser fit is actually very comfortable.

The Milano is a great sandal for walking because the heel strap prevents the sandal sliding off your foot when you are walking fast. The heel strap requires a more exact fit than open styles such as the Arizona...get too short a size and the heel straps will irritate your feet. In American shoes, I wear a men’s 10.5 length with an average width. Most of my Birks are a size 43, regular footbed, regular width. Two weeks ago, I got a pair of Milanos with the soft footbed in a 43 regular width. The soft footbed provided a snug fit. Loosening the heel strap reduced heel irritation. My new pair have the regular footbed. I moved up one size to a size 44, but in the narrow width. The narrow width provides a snug fit similar to the soft footbed in a regular width. The added quarter inch of length eliminates the pressure from the heel strap. Bottom line: Don’t assume that your best Arizona size will be your best Milano size. Dialing in your best size greatly increases comfort.

Watch sizes. They're way too big for what they list. This is the second time I've done this. For example, I'm a size 7-1/2 and so I ordered a 38. They're huge. I should have ordered a 37.

These are second pair of these sandals. I had my first pair for several years. Great shoes. When I bought my first pair in a store years ago, the salesperson told me, that for the first week, only wear them less than three hours a day until your foot conforms to the heel material. So you may notice a little discomfort at first. After that, you can wear them as much as you want.

The Milano oiled leather sandals in a regular width with the original firm footbed were slightly too wide for my average width guy's feet. I next got a pair with the soft footbed. The added layer of foam of the soft footbed provides a snug and comfortable fit. I wanted Milanos for long walks because my Arizona sandals slip while walking fast. To get a secure fit I pulled the toe strap, ankle strap and heel strap quite tight. The Milanos were VERY painful to wear on a long walk with tight straps. I later read a Zappos review that said loose fitting straps provide better comfort. So now my toe strap is only semi-snug, the ankle strap is moderately loose and the heel strap very loose. Now my Milanos are comfortable on long walks. And, the heel strap still keeps them securely on my feet. Bonus: having the heel strap loose lets me slip on my Milanos without unfastening and refastening a strap. If you are new to Birkenstocks with a guy's medium width foot, the regular width soft footbed provides both comfort and a good fit. But, if your feet are already well adjusted to the high Birkenstock arch support or if you are a guy with a wider foot, you would prefer the original firm footbed in the regular width.

Love them??

Excellent shoe. From a woman's perspective, since this is a unisex style, I originally ordered the Gizeh style (in a 38) but the regular size footbed was too narrow and short for me. The same size (38) in the Milano is perfect. The regular width comfortably suits my wide width sole without any discomfort at all. The length is also just right. The 38 is perfect for my 7 1/2 foot. This does allow for a bit of space in the front and back, which I understand are how Birkenstocks should fit. There is a difference in sizing between the Milano and the Gizeh for women. Comparing this pair to my husband's old Milanos, the leather also seems to be thicker.

Zappos is great and carry the name brands people rely on. The purchase I made of the Birkenstocks were true to size and look from the site.

This is a classic sandal and never disappoints. I bought this pair for a recent trip to Florida and of course living in Buffalo in November isn't exactly the time of year for sandals. However, after a short break in period, they molded my feet nicely. Highly recommended!

I have worn Bass Sandals for years and I can't find them anymore. The last pair I bought were Bass ADEN 1230-266 are they still available (I prefer the type without the elastic on the heel).

Well made sandal. Runs very big for size. Even after exchanging for a smaller size I needed to make an extra hole in the strap to be able to buckle up tighter in order to deal with the size discrepancy.

I've owned these for a year and - just ordered another pair. I have one issue with them and - that's that they fit bigger than the size indicates. I lived with mine one size too large for the year which wasn't a big deal till recently as I don't mind them fitting a bit loose. However - the straps have stretched enough now that it's a bit of a pain. So - I ordered a new pair (one size smaller of course). Comfort wise they're great. Very durable. I've got them wet several times and - though they don't dry quickly - they do dry well. The straps don't get all dry and warped...and the soles maintain their cushion. I like them - they're easy on the knees and lower back and - great for walking (probably more so if you order the correct size).

I love Birkenstocks and have been wearing them since the early 1970s, I own a dozen pair, and since retiring I wear Birks 90% of the time and I have certain pairs I only wear indoors. But these are the first I tired that have back straps and after trying them on I could tell I would not enjoy wearing them, in part because of the hassle of having to buckle and unbuckle straps to get them on and off (forcing my huge feet over the strap didn't seem a viable option), and in part because the strap buckles tended to rub my ankles (I tried different strap adjustments to see if it would make a difference and it didn't). Other than that they are beautiful Birkenstocks, but now I know that I can only handle Birks I can easily slip on and off. Zappos made it very easy to exchange these for a different pair (with no back straps).