Crafty mum fashions her young daughter a pair of Birkenstocks from $12 Kmart sandals

An Australian mum has showcased how she upcycled a pair of $12 Kmart sandals to resemble hugely popular Birkenstocks for her young daughter.

The mother, who lives in New South Wales, took to Facebook on October 20 to show before and after photos of her shoe design that are made to resemble Birkenstocks.

Her five-year-old daughter had seen her sister wearing some of the German sandals and wanted a pair of her own but they were too pricey. 

‘Little miss five really wanted Birkenstocks that looked like her big sister but I wasn’t prepared to spend the money on the real deal,’ her mother wrote.

Her five-year-old daughter had seen her sister wearing some of the German sandals and wanted a pair of her own but they were too pricey

‘So for just $12 at Kmart we found a pair of sandals with a similar style to what she wanted and I carefully cut off what she referred to as the “baby straps at the back” and TA-DA she now has big girl “Birks” like her big sister.’

The pair of faux leather shoes had the same two-belt buckle design that traditional Birkenstocks have but for a fraction of the usual $120 price tag.

‘I used sharp fabric scissors for a clean cut through the thick material used,’ the mum added.

Her DIY design captured the attention of a number of parents who want to try out the option for their young children too.

The pair of faux leather shoes had the same two-belt buckle design that traditional Birkenstocks have but for a fraction of the usual $120 price tag

‘I also did this for my seven-year-old last week. She loves them,’ one woman replied.

Others mentioned that Kmart sells fake Birkenstocks in the adult section of the shoe store for $9 in various tones and they last ‘almost as long’ as the real deal.

‘You would never know the difference. Look exactly the same as the real deal,’ another woman said.

A third added: ‘This is really clever’.