Piper4, I get terrible swollen feet and ankles and wear Birkenstocks, I do wear the Mules as in Madtrid style Birkenstocks but they are hard work to keep on, I tend to wear them around the house and for short walks. I do feel some benefits from wearing them though and feel as you have to work a bit harder at walking in them, I'm exercising my legs a little more and hopefully bringing down some of the swelling. If you wear toe post hush puppies, toe post Birkenstocks should do the trick. A word of warning though, the narrow fit Birkenstock sell on QVC are usually too narrow for people with swollen feet, I actually purchased a pair last week and I love them but they are just too narrow for me, can't even get half my foot in. As you have small feet it might not make that much difference but as mentioned by lots of people, it's best to try a pair of Birkenstocks on to see what fitting it best. Regular is the size I wear and when I'm having a puffy foot day, depending on the style, I can alter the strap accordingly. Of course mule/Madrid style don't have a strap near the ankle just the toe, so this problem doesn't occur. Hope that all makes sense and has helped a little.