Customer Reviews Birkenstock Iona

Size up if you are in between sizes. I wear a 41 (10-10.5) in Birkenstock sandals, but with these I had to exchange for a 42 (11-11.5). I normally wear a size 10.5 in other shoes unless they are narrow then I get an 11 when wides in 10.5 are not available. The 41's seemed slightly narrower than their sandals so if you have a wider foot, might feel more comfortable with bigger size. I also own a pair of the Birkenstock Paris Soft Footbed and wear the 41 (10-10.5) in those as well. The Iona's are narrower than the Paris as well. I think the Iona's are cute. I also like the adjustable strap across the top of the foot. The insert seems to be different than the sandals and Paris I own. Specifically the arch area is different and there does not seem to be as much arch support, but maybe they will mold more once I wear them daily. I just got them today so really only tried on quick and made a few passes through house. I have a very difficult time finding shoes as I have Plantar Fasciitis and arthritis in the joint of my big toe on my right foot. I have to be careful with Mary Jane type shoes so the part of the shoe that goes over the toes doesn't rub or irritate my arthritis. I hope after wear that more often they don't become a problem for my arthritis. They didn't seem to bother me the 5 minutes I had them on.

Major cute factor! I got so many compliments on these shoes. My mistake, however, was that I ordered it in a UK size 36, which is the size I wear in Birkenstock sandals. I should have ordered this in my usual UK size 37. I will most likely order them again in size 37 because I like them that much. I am also a huge Naot fan so I replaced the Birkenstock footbed (it is removable) and put in my favorite Naot footbed. While this shoe is not as comfortable as a Birkenstock sandal, it's a start that I hope Birkenstock will continue to work with. I just have to reemphasize just how cute they are on. I wore mine all last summer with leggings, crop pants, jeans, and even a few times bare legged with a short skirt.

These shoes were adorable! I wish they could have worked for me. If you're a Birkenstock sandal wearer, you'll find that these shoes have less support and run a little smaller than their sandals. Perhaps ordering a wider or larger size could work for some. I already wear a Regular, so there was no wider option available. Bummer. If you're someone who finds too much arch support or too deep of a heel cup in a standard Birkenstock, this may be your shoe!

I love these Iona mary jane shoes. I would buy them in every color. They do run small (compared to Birkenstock sandals). I usually wear 42-narrow in Birkenstock sandals, but ordered these in 42-regular width— they fit perfectly. The support/insole is not exactly the same as sandals. There is adequate arch support (slightly less aggressive arch support than the Birkenstock sandals), no toe-bar, and the heel cup isn’t as deep. I have bad feet — plantar fasciitis, painful arches, inadequate padding on soles of my feet, and they love to cramp. These shoes are fantastic! No pain or discomfort after hours on my feet. Love love love

Oh how I wanted this shoe to work! I have watched and waited and finally after reading reviews I ordered my normal size and one size bigger. BOTH were just too narrow overall and too shallow on my larger foot. This shoes does not have the typical Birkenstock support. For this kind of price it has to be perfect so sadly I returned them.

Birkenstock shoes are so hard to beat for quality and comfort. I wanted a flat I could wear for work (that could be dressed up a little), and that would stand up to more than a year's wear. I also wanted to be able to wear little no-show socks with them (which you can't do with a lot of flats because they don't provide quite enough coverage). My toes are kind of 'square' at the end, so I usually have to get a longer shoe size so that 4th toe doesn't get squashed. I typically wear a 9/9.5, but in Birks I usually get a 41 narrow, and that's what I got with these and it really works well for me. One thing I noticed was that on the first wear, they really kind of stunk! I think it was something about the leather or shoe bed ... it kind of bugged me but is fading. Great shoes, and Zappos is wonderful, as always!

I adore this shoe! It is true—consider ordering up a size. I ordered 42-regular width. For reference, I usually wear size 41-narrow in Birkenstock sandals. The support is excellent, but not identical to the sandals. The heel cup isn’t quite as deep, and there isn’t a toe-bar on the inside/insole— still excellent arch support for my very problematic feet. (I have plantar fasciitis and very bony areas on the ball of my feet.). Previously, my favorite Birkenstocks were the Boston clog with soft footbed. These mary janes do not have any memory foam in the sole— the insole looks to be cork and leather. I have worn these for 8+ hours running around on concrete/tile. No back or foot pain. Many compliments. Please restock all colors, especially navy and nut brown and red. I can wear these with my cotton graduated compression socks, or a medium thickness trouser sock, or barefoot. I think the style would not look great with ultra thick wool socks. The velcro mary jane strap helps them stay on your feet. I can wear these shoes to work and pair with nice trousers. They look fine with casual jeans or skirt too. My feet can get sweaty, so this mary jane style helps keep them cooler than an oxford style dress shoe. They are much nicer looking than the Boston clog— i can wear these to dressier functions. Looks like they will be a good choice for cooler weather too (closed heel).

I love these shoes! The other reviews are correct: size up! I have worn Birkenstock sandals (41-narrow) for years, and was surprised that these 42-regular Iona mary janes fit me perfectly. The arch support isn’t the same as the sandals— the heel cup isn’t as deep, and there isn’t a toe bar. The arch support is there, but not quite as aggressive as the sandals (maybe only 50-60% as high of an arch support, compared to the sandals). I have a lot of foot pain/problems, including plantar fasciitis and chronic hip/back pain, so if my awful feet/back likes these shoes, someone with normal feet might think the support is excellent. These are nice enough to wear with tights/skirt, and are great work shoes. They don’t look overly orthopedic or clunky, despite a generous wide toe box. They are not clod hoppers. You can wear them barefoot if desired, or with socks— looks good either way. The inner footbed is made in Germany, but the shoe leather/sole is made in Portugal. I hope they are able to be resoled at some point. Honestly they are so comfy, i’d just buy them again anyhow. I wish they still sold them in Nut Brown or Navy. I would buy them in a heartbeat.

LOVE THIS SHOE. Am now regretting not buying 2 pairs in every color, as I am now scraping Ebay for them. Super comfortable, enough arch support and firmness to keep my pronation and plantar fasciitis in check, but still stylish. I am not a huge Birkie fan in general because I don't like how bulky their styles are even though they are comfortable -- I wear an 11/42 and my feet do not need to look any bigger than they are already. But these are streamlined yet retain all the comfort and support that I need. PLEASE CARRY THESE AGAIN IN OTHER COLORS. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE

These feel different from Birkenstock sandals. The sole is thinner and there is less support. I followed an idea from another review and took out the insole and used a Naot one instead. It made it more comfortable. However, I do find that these are the Mary Jane's I reach for every day. They are very low, unlike my Naot's, which sit up by about an inch.

Beautiful sewing and cute style. Signature Birkenstock foot bed was too high in metatarsal and too low in instep arch for me. Wide toe box, good flat sole for walking or standing, with dresses or pants. Generous Velcro for securing strap.

I now own just about every style of Birkenstock sandal and shoe and even a pair of boots. I'm a career woman in my fifties with a very painful nueroma in one foot due to the YEARS of wearing very high heels every day at work (banker). While the majority of the sandals are too casual for me, my ability to walk was paramount and I sacrificed looks for comfort. Yes, I've reached that age..! The Iona shoe is less casual looking than I expected and the fit was better than the Lismore, which was looser and a bit "sloppy". I actually prefer the Lismore in looks, the Iona in comfort and fit. I normally wear a 37 in Birk sandals but take a 38 in shoes and boots to allow for socks in an enclosed toe box. I have a normal medium width foot and recommend a narrow width for most normal width feet. While these won't win the "beautiful shoe" award, they are cute, quirky and most of all comfortable. The shoes take some breaking in at the heel and some may have issues with the height of the back at the Achilles tendon, but with Zappos' very generous return policy, they're worth a try if you love Birks!

Just wore these for the first time, and I love them! Have always loved the standard Birkenstock sandal and now have the same footbed comfort in a shoe!

I have a pair of Birkenstock clogs I've been wearing for seventeen years, still love them, still in decent shape, and so I was delighted to find these Birkenstock shoes to try. Almost all my shoes are Size 10-Medium. I ordered these in both 41-Regular and 42-Narrow. The 41 was too wide and barely long enough (I can't abide even one toe lightly touching end of shoe). The 42 was perfect. The mary jane straps keep my feet snugly fitted into the shoes, and I can wear these shoes all day long, walking a lot, and still feel comfortable in them. I love these shoes. I should add that it did take a week or two to "break" them in. The shoes were stiff around my ankle bones at first. No problem now! Happy feet!

I need a size 12, but they don't make size 12 in this shoe; as a result my toe was right against the end and very uncomfortable. Otherwise, however, I love this shoe; it is very substantial and quite heavy, but really good-looking, practical and useful. I am so disappointed in having to return them, but I have returned so many shoes already that it doesn't surprise me. Zappo's size recommendation no longer fits me, as my feet have grown since this recommendation was made. It should definitely be changed to size 11 1/2, but since there are so few 11 1/2s, I keep looking at 12 narrow. With an adjustable strap, sometimes I can wear a medium rather than a narrow.

The Iona is a super cute shoe but it would not accommodate my bunion. I have a narrow foot other than the bunion so I tried the shoe in a wide and it still put too much pressure on my bunion. Keen Presidio MJ works well for my bunion but I was hoping the Iona would fit well because I love the cork arch support. Thank you, Zappos, for your great service and return policy!

So compared to the Boston, this is feels/fits narrower and slightly shorter. I went with my usual size as I never plan to need socks with these, but worth trying a size up if you are between.

Not comfortable. The foot bed is hard.

wonderful shoe--just don't have it in my size! I need a narrow, and I have a terribly time finding something that fits. I'm hoping you get more in stock!

I like the shoe, but it is 2 sizes too small.

I totally love these shoes in black. They are neutral, fit great, comfortable, and look great as basic Mary Janes with skirts. Well made, durable shoe that I'll get lots of use from!

I love these for the reasons other Birk reviewers don't - the lower arch is perfect for feet with collapsed arches. I like my Gizeh's but after a few hours the arch is too aggressive for my feet. These are perfect for me - I agree there isn't much cushion under the ball of foot but I bought them for my casual office and not long walks. The slim profile is more attractive too. I am 36 in Birkenstock sandals but 37 in these, barefoot or with light sock.

These shoes are very cute. I followed the other ratings, and got 1 size larger than I usually wear. They fit perfectly. They are very comfortable. I highly recommend.

I wear a 38 Birkenstock sandal, so I went up a size. It's not enough. I should have gone up two sizes. This shoe in a 39 was a little short and a lot narrower. It's like these shows are made by completely different manufacturers.

This Birkenstock Mary Jane is attractive and supportive. However, if you are like me and fit into the 20% of the population whose second toe is slightly longer than the big toe, this shoe might not work. Unfortunately, that’s why I had to send it back. Also, you might want to consider ordering a size up from your sandal size. I wear a 40 in Birkenstock sandals and always order a 41 in the Birkenstock shoes. If these don’t work for you, try the brand I have listed below. They are almost as supportive, and I haven’t run into an issue with the toe box.