When my husband spent a summer in the Holy Lands, he took one pair of shoes--Birkenstocks. And while I could never imagine spending all summer with only one pair of shoes to pick from each day, they served him well for his whole trip.

So when I was contacted by Birkenstocks to review a pair of their new Spring sandals, I was excited to try what would be my first pair. And while I was instantly drawn to the colors of the two new spring styles (I chose the Madrid), what impresses me most about the Birkenstock company is their dedication to making the complete process of creating these shoes environmentally conscious. As they say, "They were green long before green was a trend."

Here are a few things that impressed me about their green commitment:

The shoes are made with a commitment to craftsmanship using premium quality, natural, renewable, recyclable and naturally insulating material.

They are made from durable cork, no trees are cut or destroyed - the bark is simply peeled away and then allowed to re-grow.

The shoes can be repaired, increasing the life of your shoes and decreasing the amount of waste entering our landfills. (I love this. Rarely, in this day and age, do we think of repairing our shoes. We simply toss them out and buy a new replacement pair.)

Left-over EVA from the sole production process is broken down and further processed for use in children’s playgrounds, sport fields and sound barriers along freeways.

You can read more about their green steps here.

I am impressed with the steps they have taken to have a low-impact on our environment.

And guess what? Need a new pair of shoes for Spring?? I get to give away a pair to one lucky reader, in the style (Madrid {the first pair pictured} or Gizeh{the second pair pictured}), size and color of your choice!

Leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway. I have one more crafty giveaway coming up on Friday, so I will announce all the winners on Monday.

And if you don't win, the other good news is that the sandals are pretty affordable, starting at $49.95, which for a pair of shoes that can be as long-lasting as these, is a really good deal.

Yay for shoes! Good luck.