UPDATE:It appears that these are the same style of Birkenstocks that are sold at Zappo's(black writing on sole), and I can't imagine they would be selling knock offs. I do not understand why these would be lesser quality than the ones bought on Birkenstock's actual website, but that may be the case.I believe these are counterfeit, sold by “shoe brands USA.” Especially given the name of the store, I expected these to be shipped from U.S. but they were shipped (quickly) from the UK.(Birkenstock’s website says shoes shipped into US from other countries means fake.)1) Something seemed off and I realized that the stock photos show yellow writing on the sole and these have black. That was the first red flag.2) They also do not have a number imbedded on the inside of the end of the strap.3) Some of the glue is visible where the upper connects to the base which is uncharacteristic of Birkenstock craftsmanship.4) There is a small dented scuff in the inner heel (pictured) which also seems off.5) And then after reading another review here of the same shoes from the same seller, I realized the outer strap is also already coming away from the shoe bed on their shoes.If these are truly counterfeit as I suspect, they are unbelievably close to the real thing. I almost can’t believe it. The box and packaging are a perfect match. They are high quality leather and smell like rich leather. The shape of the shoe and the design on the bottom is perfect. None of the flaws would bother me except that they signify counterfeit which means they won’t carry the longevity and quality of the real thing that I paid good money for. I bought these discounted from $125 to $99 but obviously if they are fake and won’t last nearly as long then it was not worth the small discount. I will be buying only from the official Birkenstock website. Buyer beware.