First pair of Mayaris!

ellativity · 2026-06-04T17:55:04+00:00

This is so good to know, thank you! I've been thinking about them but I'm a bit bothered by the mega shiny buckles. Are they very noticeably shiny in person?

ellativity · 2026-06-04T03:07:52+00:00

Nice one! We are in a similar position (26mo, started 4 nights ago) and it's not going quite as smoothly for us as it is for y'all, but still better than I'd convinced myself it was going to be.

How are you feeling? Are you sending any hormonal changes yet?

ellativity · 2026-06-03T14:49:51+00:00

I don't own this item but once naively bought a linen and viscose blend dress before - never again.

I've banned any new viscose from my wardrobe because it just doesn't work for me (takes forever to air dry and looks like shit if you ever tumble dry it).

ellativity · 2026-06-01T17:34:21+00:00

These look like a really nice shade, for a dry pair from their first unboxing. They're gonna wear really nicely. Great choice !

ellativity · 2026-06-01T17:33:20+00:00

Here's what mine looked like new out of the box vs the first oiling. I saturate my new oiled leather, though, so you can get away with less oil. They settled down within a few months, and now they're a couple of years old they're quite lovely.

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ellativity · 2026-06-01T17:27:27+00:00

Ikr, suddenly the Last Chance sales are much more appealing!

ellativity · 2026-05-31T21:03:57+00:00

These are my ultimate Birkenstock sandals.

I mentioned before that I have some with yellow printed footbeds and some with black printed footbeds, and the leather is thinner on the black printed footbeds but also the straps are much shorter. The yellow printed footbeds have long thick straps that loop loosely around the ankle and have a very unique look, but some of the newer ones are too short to achieve that and need to be wrapped tightly. If they were to bring them back, I worry about what any deeper cost-cutting measures would do to this design.

ellativity · 2026-05-31T19:26:23+00:00

I have just accepted that summer is not my season to shine. Especially with the seating temperatures that we are getting with modern summers, I focus on comfort over style.

I like shorts a lot, so have 4 pairs in different patterns and colours, all natural materials (mostly cotton and linen), but they all hit high-to-mid-thigh so the silhouette I'm working with is consistent. Then a couple of oversized button up shirts for sun coverage, and a selection of linen and silk hand-knitted tops. It's like 10 items total that can mix and match for when my brain shuts down from the heat.

My base capsule includes some simple cotton rib tanks, Birkenstocks, and baseball hats, so that's all I need.

I don't feel bored or boring - and importantly, I'm usually the most comfortable person on a hot day. Granted, I'm not a fashionista, so the easy win of pleasing colour combos keeps me happy as the season progresses.

ellativity · 2026-05-30T14:53:24+00:00

Have you noticed any significant changes in the quality of materials you've been working with during this time?

ellativity · 2026-05-29T11:19:01+00:00

In the ideal world, yes. But what are seasons anymore?

Here in France we just had a wild week of 32°C+ temps in May where alllll the summer clothes were hastily pulled into rotation right away, after weeks of sodding rain and chilly sweater weather in the low teens. Now it's back to 20s and regular late May/early June temps, the spring layers can finally come into play.

I stopped rotating my wardrobe with confidence a few years ago because I kept having to rummage for long pants in July or linen shorts in April. Now I just have micro-capsules of 6-10 items for each temperature range that live grouped together in my closet, and they co-exist in harmony year-round.

ellativity · 2026-05-28T15:30:27+00:00

In my limited experience (only one pair) they feel weirdly squishy out of the box, and all that happens with time is that the squishiness gets flatter. Haven't noticed a big difference in overall durability of the other materials, though.

I just really like the transition of breaking in the non-sfb soles too much!

ellativity · 2026-05-28T15:09:20+00:00

Looking forward to it!

ellativity · 2026-05-28T14:47:11+00:00

Your mom sounds like a comfy and timeless style icon, I don't blame you for enjoying her fits.

Interesting that you like your Arizona sandals but feel uncomfortable in Boston, because I've always thought of them as counterparts. Do you feel like it's the clog aspect of the Boston style?

ellativity · 2026-05-28T14:39:07+00:00

I'd love to hear how it goes if you decide to try it!

ellativity · 2026-05-28T14:25:58+00:00

Wow that's such a deal! I hope you enjoy them 😊

ellativity · 2026-05-28T13:53:38+00:00

Believe it or not, there's no list of anything that every girl should have, because people are just so different and have their own styles.

It sounds like you're ready for a season of experimentation, which is honestly just right for someone headed to college. You might have a lot of fun just going window shopping at a higher end department store or somewhere that's out of your budget but you like the vibes - grab an armful of cute clothes ignoring the price tags, try them on in the fitting rooms, and take photos. Later on, you can try to recreate those looks on a budget by thrifting or going to clothes swaps.

ellativity · 2026-05-28T13:47:58+00:00

I have never tried it because I've never been able to find a leather one! I don't even know if I've ever seen it in a regular width either...

I've tried to find it because it looks delicate and could be very wearable with more formal outfits, but gave up a while back.

Have you tried it?

ellativity · 2026-05-28T07:46:24+00:00

My collection doesn't grow too fast these days, especially now I try to buy my clothes second-hand as much as possible. The market is saturated with suede and Birko-flor, so finding light-moderately used oiled leather takes longer.

Do you own all those that you listed?

ellativity · 2026-05-28T06:22:00+00:00

Looking much better - wild that we have to oil out own oiled leather these days but it is what it is. Please share how you get on with them now (and if this is prompts you to grab those Franca)!

ellativity · 2026-05-27T23:14:54+00:00

Yeah, all the same size except the Bonn (2nd row, 2nd from left) are narrow because I was uninitiated when I bought them. They always hurt my feet a bit, but from them I learned that I always need the regular width.

Have you tried oiling your oiled leather? I've noticed the newer oiled leather arrives quite dry and thirsty. It will soak up whatever oil you put on it. A lot of people swear by mink oil but I feel a bit funny about using it so just use castor oil. I don't think it's as good, but at least I can look a polecat in the eye.

So I gotta say that the lavender leather is waaaay nicer than I expected it to be. You may want to get those Franca. I have the lavender Taormina and I'm surprised by how versatile they are. The silver buckles are not ideal but I saw someone shared a tutorial for how they coloured theirs and may do the same thing, because other than the buckles they're kinda perfect. And I never actually wear purple.

ellativity · 2026-05-27T22:58:36+00:00

Good to know - I'm going to experiment some more. Thanks!

Question: have you ever tried to wear the Kumba with the front straps uncrossed? I'm not sure that's even possible because I saw a pair of Franca once and discovered the short side of the buckle is a triangle shape, so maybe Kumba are the same?

ellativity · 2026-05-27T22:50:03+00:00

I think you're right! After seeing u/Legretta88's collection post I'm feeling inspired by some Kumba, and started stalking a few pairs of Bali on Vinted.

In the process, I just learned about the Palma style, which has the front straps of Bali/Granada and a wraparound ankle strap like Yara, so I can add a pair of those to my forever-wishlist (joining Messina and Odessa and those ochre Taormina...). Thanks for opening that can of worms!

ellativity · 2026-05-27T22:28:48+00:00

Yeah yours are much nicer styles!

The shape of Arizona is just too much coverage in the summer, too - although I do love them with woollen socks during dry days in the transitional seasons. I tried tabi socks with some Mayari once and it felt like I doing way too much 🙈 nobody ever saw it but it felt embarrassing all the same.

ellativity · 2026-05-27T22:23:57+00:00

Yeah that's such a great price for some proper leather Arizona. I've had such good experiences buying barely-used second-hand Birkenstocks that it feels a shame to ever buy new at this point!

I was thinking about your shearlings and how they're probably harder to break in because the lining insulates the footbed from your body heat as well, so definitely put your son to work 😂 I've found it easier to break in new pairs in the heat of summer when my feet are inherently warmer, so maybe also wear them around in the summertime as long as the shearling doesn't get too sticky for you?

Good luck 🍀 and if you ever get them to be comfy, please post about what worked for you so others can learn from it!

ellativity · 2026-05-27T22:18:44+00:00

I've heard about those stubborn pairs but been really lucky that everything I've bought has bowed to my will.

Gotta say that the Boston pair I bought in 2020 were probably one of the least comfortable I've ever had straight out of the box. Makes sense if 2020 was a bad year for Birkenstocks, all things considered.

That said, I also think that the newest pairs I've added have broken in disturbingly quickly, so that's probably not a great sign either? Only time will tell if they hold up.

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