Birkenstock Kay Super Grip Leather Black

What to know about this clog

Birkenstock's footbed carries a deep heel cup, a raised toe bar and a pronounced arch. All three feel like too much in week one and like the point by week four. Leather uppers breathe and mould, which matters more over a long day than any amount of padding does.

Cork wants sealing once or twice a year at the exposed rim. Untreated, it dries and crumbles at the edges; sealed, it lasts as long as the shoe. A rubber outsole grips wet floors in a way a smooth leather or wooden base does not, which is why it turns up on almost everything sold for kitchen and hospital work.

A closed back holds the heel, which steadies it on stairs and satisfies the dress codes that specify an enclosed shoe. For twelve-hour shifts the footbed matters more than the cushioning. Cushioning compresses; a supportive shape does not.

Black is the colour most workplace dress codes specify, and the one that hides toe-box scuffs best. It greys as the finish dries — conditioner brings it back. Leave about a centimetre in front of your longest toe, and check that your foot is not spilling over the sides of the footbed — that is a width problem, not a length one.

Leather needs roughly a day to release the moisture it absorbed from your foot. Two pairs alternated each last more than twice as long as one worn daily.

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