I have been traveling East Asia, SE Asia, South Asia, and Africa for the last 8 1/2 months. While traveling, it is important to have reliable footwear that are comfortable without sacrificing function. I have been using Birkenstocks for sandals and bathroom shoes throughout my travels and they are amazing! I felt like Birkenstocks were the only shoes I needed for my travels until I was introduced to the Maasai shoes. These shoes are highly prized by the Maasai so I decided to put them up against my beloved Birkenstocks in a head to head comparison! Here’s how I was introduced to each and how they stack up against each other.

Introduction to Birkenstocks

I knew SE Asia and other parts of Asia would be hot while I was there, meaning that sandals were a necessity for my journey. In past travels, I would only bring sandals if I was planning on going to the beach. This would be my first time considering which type of sandal would last for months of constant travel throughout many terrains. Because I would be primarily traveling in hot regions, I needed sandals that would also meet some of the criterion I used for travel shoes.

For shoes I prefer hiking shoes that are waterproof and breathable because you never know what the terrain or weather will be like. That way you don’t have to worry about soggy shoes when it rains, or what the condition of roads or trails are. They are also comfortable for long walks or hikes with your gear. Shoes and sandals have to be somewhat light weight because you will be lugging them around everywhere either wearing them or carrying them in your pack. To the dismay of anybody with a sense of fashion, I also wear hiking shoes as my day to day shoes when I am not traveling…

After looking on the internet and getting some advice from my dad REI was the first store I went to. My dad recommended Keens for sandals so I was mainly there to check out those while also looking at any other sandals that might work.

The older gentleman that was working asked me what I was looking for. I told him how I was going to Southeast Asia traveling for 9 months and I would need a good pair of sandals for the hot weather and varying terrains. A knowing twinkle appeared in his eyes that old timers sometimes get. He mentioned that he may have some Birkenstocks in the back that might be my size and would be perfect for my travels. He came back with a black pair and said these were the only ones he had. They looked like they were made from leather but were in fact one solid piece of black rubber. I tried them on and they were very comfortable and light-weight. He said he could give me an extra discount because technically they were no longer supposed to stock these shoes. I would get them for around $30.

I went back and forth between the Birkenstocks and the Keens. The Birkenstocks were significantly cheaper so after some deliberation and trusting his recommendation, I went with the Birkenstocks. My sandals have held up well and I can say I am happy I made this decision!

Introduction to Maasai Shoes

I arrived in Tanzania right before Easter. I was going to volunteer at a hospital in Dodoma as a biomedical engineer but I heard that it would be best to arrive after Easter because most people at the hospital would be busy with the holidays. Luckily, my friend’s family lived near Arusha so I decided to spend Easter with them. Little did I know that I would be living in a Maasai village for the next 4 days.

My new friend Jomo hosted me for my time there and taught me about the ways of life of the Maasai. The Maasai are nomadic pastoralists that herd cattle and goats. Their diet consists mostly of what they get from these animals so mainly meat and milk, but they also eat rice, ugali, and some greens. The men are in charge of the livestock and the women were in charge of the household tasks and milking the cows when they come home at night. If a man has many livestock, he will often take an additional wife to help out with the workload. I heard of one Maasai having over 30 wives!

Jomo took me around to show me the different aspects of the village where he lived. He showed me the plains where his cattle grazed, the Maasai market where cows are sold, and he introduced me to the local traditional medicine midwife along with the local dispensary.

We walked most places and I quickly found out the landscape has many prickly spikes and burrs. Countless burrs would get stuck between my foot and sandal. My Birkenstocks are a little loose fitting and the back portion opens up every time I take a step allowing these burrs to hop in. After stopping several times to remove the burrs Jomo had his relative swap shoes with me. This was my first time wearing “traditional” Maasai shoes called endkutuk which means motorbike. Jomo explained that every Maasai coveted these shoes because they were tough for the spikes, would last many years, and you could run in them. I decided I had to get my own pair!

The origin story is that the shoes used to be made from leather. A Maasai who walked many kilometers looking for cows wore out his shoes and had to walk barefoot. He found a tire on the side of the road and realized he could use it for shoes. He cut the tire and used bark to fasten it to his feet. When he arrived at the next village people remarked on his shoes and asked where he got those. The endkutuk was born!

Nowadays Maasai shoes are made from cut up tires with a thinner rubber used for the straps and tacks to attach the rubber straps to the tire. You can choose the tread and what type of tire you prefer from the vendor selling the shoes at market. The shoes are custom tailored to your feet by marking the appropriate strap length as you have your foot in the tire portion. The rubber straps are tacked in and then cut to the appropriate length. After a final check the unnecessary parts are shaved off with a sharp blade and your new sandals are ready. These cost around $10. Jomo says the high demand has brought up the price!

The front and back are made identical and I was curious as to why this was. The story is that cow thieves would make them so people wouldn’t know which way they were traveling. As they would walk they would evenly place their feet down as to not leave indications of traveling one way or the other. The first thing that popped into my mind was that the cow tracks would give the direction away but I never asked that question. The cows are being brought all over the place for grazing so maybe it would be hard to track them when stolen.

We went to the Maasai market so I could get my pair. I was dressed in traditional Maasai clothes that Jomo gave me. Everybody got a kick out of me greeting people with the limited Maasai words that I knew. I was nicknamed “The White Maasai”. Later when walking home we even saw some of the safari cars bringing people on safaris pull over and stop next to us. Needless to say, White Maasai are pretty rare!

Birkenstocks vs. Maasai Shoes

To compare both of these I combined the criteria that were beneficial to each. The criteria I used were: comfort, durability, traction, price, ability to run, weight, and custom fit. A positive or negative score was assigned to each sandal for each category. The sum of the results were added up and shown as a total. Weights were not added to the criteria. A summary of the results are shown below with a more detailed explanation of each criteria in the following sections.

	Birkenstocks	Maasai Shoes
Comfort	++	–
Durability	+	++
Traction	+	++
Price	+	++
Ability to Run	0	++
Weight	++	0
Custom Fit	+	++
Total	+8	+9

Comfort:

The Birkenstocks are nice and comfortable. The Maasai with whom I traded my Birkenstocks for the day really enjoyed this. He commented, “It’s nice not having things dig into your feet.”

The Maasai shoes on the other hand are not very comfortable when you first get them. The back strap rubs on your heel and the strap ends on the sides dig into your feet. To correct this you have to shave the ends accordingly and tape up the back strap to make them more comfortable. The tacks also have the potential to dig into your feet. For Maasai with tough feet this isn’t too big of a deal but my feet still needed to toughen up a bit.

Durability:

The Birkenstocks have lasted 8 1/2 months of travel. I have taken them into some pretty harsh terrains and they are still holding up. So far there is only a small tear.

The Maasai shoes last for many years. I saw some pretty worn out ones that were still very functional. Jomo and others claimed they easily last over 5 years with everyday wear. They are made with tough materials and they are serviceable if something breaks (I was given a small bag of tacks for the straps).

Traction:

Birkenstocks have better traction than flip flops but only moderate tread. For a lot of terrain they work well but they can also be a little slippery if you go off-road to rougher terrain. The treads also wear down over time.

The Maasai Shoes definitely have deeper treads. They are made from tires which are designed to get good traction. It will take a long time to wear down the traction on these. Not the best on slippery floors.

Price:

Birkenstocks – ~$30 on sale in the USA was a very good price.

“Traditional Maasai Sandals” – $10 is an even better price!

Ability to Run:

You can run in Birkenstocks if you have to but they are certainly not designed with running in mind.

The Maasai Shoes are great for running. The sandals fully support your foot and your treads are ready for any terrain so go run as much as you want (I go running in the morning in these with socks to protect my feet).

Weight:

The Birkenstocks are very light!

The “Traditional Maasai Sandals” weigh over twice as much.

Custom Fit:

The Birkenstocks have adjustability on the straps so you can tailor them to your feet. They won’t be a perfect fit but nothing you can complain about.

The “Traditional Maasai Sandals” are truly a custom fit. You are fit by a professional when you buy them. If you ever need to adjust them in the future you can always adjust the tacks.

Summary

To be honest I love both sandals for different reasons and it’s hard to choose a true winner. For long-term travel and casual wear I prefer my Birkenstocks because comfort is very important for me. If I want to go for a run or I am going to be in some rough terrain I prefer my Maasai Shoes. Each one has it’s own purpose and strengths. I’m sure with some modifications to either you could create the ultimate hybrid sandal! Or if space isn’t a concern you can have one of each 🙂

I hope you enjoy! Please comment below if you have any other travel shoes or sandals that you are especially fond of!