I am a Birk enthusiast. I currently have five pairs, all sandals of some type. If you search this site for Birkenstock, you will find lots and lots of postings -- for and against, and very varied.
I do have athletic shoes that I can wear, but even though they are comfortable for awhile, they do not seem to HELP my feet. Birks seem to help. However, that's not to say I don't have pain while wearing Birks. I do. I just have a lot less pain than I had last summer when the PF struck and I could barely hobble around the house.
I don't know about soft shoes. I think soft shoes helped my feet to be ripe for PF. Like the lady in the Birk store said to me -- your feet need support, not cushioning. My main suggestion for everyone buying Birks is to go to a Birk store and get fitted properly. Based on the conversion from US to European sizes, I would have converted to a size 40 Birk -- and I currently use a size 38 Birk. In short, by myself I would have bought the wrong size and probably wouldn't be as far ahead as I am. Birkenstock stores (if you have one in driving distance) generally have informed salespeople who can properly fit you. Because of the arch support in the Birk, fit is critical.
Good luck with whatever you try. Sometimes it's just a matter of finding the right combination of things to work.
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