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Now I Understand Why Celebs Like Katie Holmes and Reese Witherspoon Are Always Wearing Birkenstock Sandals

I wear them more than any of my other shoes

By

Published on May 5, 2023 08:30AM EDT

The A-List Katie Holmes Birkenstock Tout — Photo: People / Getty Images / Nordstrom

Welcome to The A-List, where we review the products your favorite celebrities wear and use that we actually really love, too.

In the early 2010s, something radical happened.

A phenomenon we eventually named "normcore" flipped fashion on its head. Suddenly, the clothes we once deemed dorky — like mom jeans and dad sneakers — became irreverent and cool. I distinctly remember how shook I was by one particular item's rise to high style: the Birkenstock Arizona sandal.

I had long associated the double-strapped sandal with its wide, ergonomic footbed with middle school science teachers and the hippie burnout types that populated '90s and 2000s pop culture (think Travis from Clueless). And now, countless — and I mean that literally, I could not count how many — celebs have worn the Birkenstock Arizona, from It girls like, Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid, to A-list actresses, like Reese Witherspoon and Katie Holmes.

I finally broke in August 2020 and ordered my first pair. It was the depths of the pandemic, and I figured I'd wear them lounging around the house and on shorter dog walks. I never cared for the look of the cork footbed that most celebs wear, so I decided to try the monochrome EVA version in bright white. They looked minimalist and graphic and fit my wardrobe of mostly black and white clothes with clean lines.

Birkenstock Arizona EVA Sandal in White

$50 at Nordstrom

Taking them out of the box, the first thing I noticed was how lightweight they were, possibly the most lightweight shoe I've ever owned. The second thing I noticed was the footbed, which has various grooves and ridges that mold to your foot over time. As I wore them, they became more and more adapted to my feet, making them both comfortable and supportive.

According to the brand, the unique footbed design holds the heel bone in its natural position so you get as much support from the sandal as you would from a closed-toe shoe. The heel mold also activates the calf muscles to stabilize the back of the foot and improves gait and coordination. Interior and exterior arch support provides additional stability as you step, and a support bed through the center of the sole keeps the foot straight and solid.

I didn't know any of this technical information when I first purchased my Birkenstock sandals, but I absolutely felt it when I started to wear them — and they quickly became my go-to shoe for just about everything. I'll wear them with leggings on the way to yoga, with jeans to run errands, and with skirts and dresses for casual hangouts with friends. Of course, they've also become the obvious choice for the beach and pool, especially because the EVA material is waterproof.

They're also really easy to clean — I was able to keep my white pair looking sharp for about a year and a half of regular wear. In February 2022, I added a black pair to my wardrobe, which I wound up finding even more versatile and slick than the white. I'll probably add a leather or suede pair to the mix next, maybe even one of the fur or shearling-lined styles once fall rolls around.

It's been a decade since the double-strap sandal shocked me into reconsidering its potential, and I'm glad it did. Now I understand why celebs are constantly wearing the shoe when they're spotted in the wild, trying to blend in.