Sandal weather is upon us, and finding a pair that is stylish, comfy and affordable sits atop a whole lot of summer wish lists. For many, the quintessential, open-toed walking sandal — which also easily ticks off the fashion box — has long been the Birkenstock Arizona. But, with the higher price tag (starting at well over $100) you may not be ready for the splurge. The company recognized this price disparity and created a more affordable EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) version. Not only do the Birkenstock Arizona Essentials EVA Slide Sandals look like their more expensive cousins but they are waterproof and lightweight. Yet, alas, you’re still going to have to plunk down $50 if you want to sport the Birkenstock name.
Of course, like anything trendy, there is always a lower-cost alternative — and we decided to do a side-by-side test of the Birkenstock Arizona Essentials with the well-reviewed Funkymonkey Double-Buckle EVA Sandal, which starts at around $20 depending on what color you go with. But before you decide, here’s everything you need to know about both pairs of waterproof, double-buckled sandals.
Birkenstock Arizona Essentials EVA Slide Sandals vs. Funkymonkey Double-Buckle EVA Sandals at a glance
You get what you pay for with the pricier Birkenstock name. These lightweight, waterproof sandals not only have more support but have longer footbeds, grippier bottoms and are just more comfortable walking longer distances.
These copycat slides are the same waterproof material and come in a whopping 55 different colors. Though they seem to offer nearly identical footbed molds and deep heel cups, they won’t compare if you have longer toes or narrower feet.
They look almost identical, but the Funkymonkey comes in more colors and styles
I ordered both shoes in shades of green: Faded Lime from Birkenstock and Fluorescent Green from Funkymonkey. Like any connoisseur, if you know your Birks, you would be aware that nearly all the EVA options are monochromatic, so it’s obvious with the Funkymonkey’s white buckles that they are not the originals. Other than that, at first glance, you’ll have a hard time telling these sandals apart. They both have a double buckle, they’re both crafted from the same lightweight EVA material and they both have moldable footpads with what looks to be the same raised arch support on the footbeds (more on this below).
Look a little closer and you’ll see “Birkenstock” etched inside one and not the other. Not a shocker there. Turn them over and you’ll notice a different tread, with the Arizona Essentials looking far more grippy and the Funkymonkey’s looking flatter. In terms of colors, Birkenstock offers a limited number of colors (depending on the season) while Funkymonkey has a choice of over 50, including patterns like Green Leaves and Leopard Printing as well as iterations imprinted with glitter.
TL;DR: At first look, you’d be hard-pressed to tell these sandals apart. It’s only when you check the finer details, like the Birkenstock name embedded in the footbed of the Arizona Essentials and the deeper grooves in their treads. When it comes to color selections, the Funkymonkey sandals come in a vast array of colors and patterns, while Birkenstocks are almost all monochromatic.
Birkenstock Arizona Essentials are definitely more comfortable
When I took them both out of the box, I had high hopes that the sandals would be comparable in comfort as well as style. To test them out, I wore them on long walks around my neighborhood for a week, and the lightweight, rubberlike material felt super soft on both.
Slipping on the Birkenstocks was a treat. I have been wearing my Arizona Big Buckles in leather for years, mainly because they are ridiculously comfortable and somehow are now the height of fashion (if someone would have told my 19-year-old self that I would be saying this after I mercifully mocked my college boyfriend for slipping on his double-buckle Birks over socks, it would not have gone over well). Somehow, the EVA version is almost as comfortable, though without the natural cork bed, they won’t mold as precisely to your feet.
As mentioned above, the Funkymonkeys look to have the exact same arch and deep footbed, yet, in practice, my feet felt significantly less supported. I can’t be sure, but I’d guess this was due to the Arizona Essentials buckles, which could be easily adjusted to fit my somewhat narrow feet, while the Funkymonkeys were still too wide even on the last hole. But the real deal breaker for me was the length of the footbeds. Unlike the Birkenstocks, which fit perfectly, my toes literally hung over the end of the Funkymonkey sandals (and no, I do not have freakishly long digits). They also felt uneven in length, like cheap plastic that a machine cut unevenly.
TL;DR: They might look the same, but when it comes to comfort, the Birkenstocks win handily. The buckles are more adjustable for feet of all widths, and the footbeds are long enough for even the longest of toes.
They are both equally waterproof
To see how they felt in water, I splashed around in the sprinklers at the new Abolitionist Plaza in Downtown Brooklyn and took a walk around the block. I was worried that they would chafe or blister once wet, but they both held up equally well. And for those who remember getting caught in the rain and squelching around in their cork and leather Birkenstocks, this is a godsend.
TL;DR: Both the Birkenstock and Funkymonkey sandals are great when wet. They won’t slide, blister or chafe.
Bottom line
The double-buckle sandal is a mainstay for many of us come summer, and Birkenstock is most definitely a fan favorite. Yet, for those who want to sport the style without the extravagant price, these two EVA sandals are solid options. Not only are they waterproof but they both ring in well under $100.
However, when I pitted Birkenstock’s own Arizona Essentials against the much-cheaper Funkymonkey EVA Sandals, I was hoping it would be a bit more of a competition than it was. Though they look eerily similar and are both comparably waterproof, the Birkenstocks won handily when it came to comfort and craftsmanship. In the end, at least for me, that is worth the extra investment. But if you are truly on a budget and want a better selection of colors and styles, you can’t go wrong with plopping down less for a cheaper pair.
