Saltwater Sandals Review

I thought I would do a quick review of my Saltwater sandals. Lee and I were away by the seaside in the middle of August and I took these with me and they more than stood up to what I needed them for, so I thought I'd write a review. Just to be clear: I was not in any way compensated for this post. I bought the sandals myself; this is not an ad or a sponsored post.

I think I mentioned before that I went shopping with my mum a couple of months ago and wanted to buy some Birkenstock sandals for the summer. We popped into Office because I was looking for a particular style of Birkenstock, and I noticed they had Saltwaters for sale. I've seen them on Instagram but didn't know they were now available in the UK. I wasn't sure they would fit me - I have quite thick ankles! - but I tried them anyway.

I was pleased to find that they buckled easily, on the second hole. They have quite a lot of holes so would fit a range of ankle sizes. I loved the red leather colour, and I think red can go with pretty much anything when it comes to shoes, so I bought them. They're US sizes, so I would say try a range and find which is right for you. Mine are US7 (I'm usually a UK6), and although they were a bit tight across the top of my foot, I knew that being leather they would stretch as I wore them.

The box shows you what to do with your new shoes: bend the soles in a bit, and stretch the front of the sandals by pulling the bits away from each other. I did that. It also says that if any part of the shoe is rubbing, to wet it and let it dry while you're wearing them. The first time I wore them, I had a little bit of rubbing from the very middle of the heel on the sole of the shoe, so I did wet them and it did seem to help. I will say that the soles of the shoes are very thin and that can be a problem for some people; I usually find that but with these I don't.

I've worn them a few times over the summer and been comfortable. The leather across the top has stretched which has made them even more comfortable. I had already decided that I'll look for another pair later in the summer or in the sales, maybe the different style across the foot or maybe the same but in a different colour.

Anyway, then came the true test: the sea! Saltwaters are supposed to be waterproof, and I like paddling, so I was determined to give them a go. On the Monday of our trip, we stopped on the beach near our cottage in Allonby and walked down to the sea. I let the waves wash over my feet and it was joyous.

I really believe that the sea is restorative for me. I needed to blow the cobwebs away and I definitely did - cold water running over my feet, the waves lapping towards me, the wind blowing through my hair. I felt peaceful and free and definitely happy.

What about my shoes, though? I kept them on, got back into the car with them dripping wet, and then took them off outside our holiday cottage. Lee had got his shoes wet too, so we left both pairs on the doorstep overnight to dry. I was a bit worried because often when you get leather wet, it never really looks the same afterwards? It crinkles at the edges and never looks as nice. But when I went back to the shoes, they looked just the same. The edges looked fine and the leather still looked in good shape.

And when I put them on, they felt like they fitted even better than they had before! The leather feels a lot more supple now and they feel really good across my feet. I'm really impressed that they survived the water - and of course I will definitely use them for paddling again! They're definitely worth what I spent on them. And they're very, very beautiful.