Can Adidas’s Affordable Dupe Dethrone One of Birkenstock’s Best?

This lookalike mule might have you doing a double-take, but it’s the price that’ll drop your jaw to the floor.

Published 9 hours ago

·

Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

For decades, Birkenstock has had a virtual monopoly on what I’ll call hippie chic footwear, marked by cork soles and leather (and suede) uppers. While the 250-year-old brand clearly isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, another significant footwear manufacturer has just fired a shot across the German brand’s bow.

The Adidas Adimule Slide looks an awful lot like one of Birkenstock’s most iconic offerings, and it’s built similarly, too. However, it is a fraction of the price. But is that enough to differentiate them?

Adidas Adimule Slides — Yes, the Adimule Slide looks much like the Birkenstock Boston, but it’s much cheaper.

Straight outta Boston

Birkenstock’s most iconic offering is probably its Arizona sandals. However, its Boston clog is not far behind. The latter features a close-toe design with a suede upper and cork sole.

The Adidas Adimule Slide is also a close-toed slip-on clog with a suede upper and cork sole. In fact, the only notable difference between them is that the Boston has a belt-like strap (complete with a metal buckle) to help adjust the fit, whereas the Adimule has none of which to speak.

Instead, the Adidas offering sports a more minimalist design, marred only by its Trefoil logo branded on the suede upper. That makes for an even more casual overall design, perhaps best suited to recovery usage.

That said, they’re both mules — meaning they’re backless — so it’s hard to argue that the Boston is any more walkabout-friendly.

Adidas Adimule Slides profiles — This take on the Adilette combines a real cork sole with a suede footbed and upper.

Flip-flop anonymous

According to Adidas, the Adimule is a “luxe take on our classic Adilette,” the iconic slide the three stripes brand has produced since the 1970s. While that’s a bit of a hard sell, there are some details in common.

While the primary sole is cork, the outsole is rubber, just like classic Adilettes. It also maintains the core slide’s top-down silhouette (although that was already decidedly clog-like in shape).

It’s also available in a trio of colorways. There’s the beige option in the photos here, but it is also available with either a black or dark brown upper.

What’s most significant, however, is the price. The Adidas Adilette Slide is £85 per pair, while the similarly outfitted Birkenstock Boston starts at £130. Knockoffs or not, that price might be enough to vault these slides into contention.

Adidas Adimule Slides top and bottom — The one very clear stylistic difference is that the Adimule is missing the Boston’s signature strap and buckle.

Pricing and availability

The Adidas Adimule Slides are currently available on the brand’s UK site for £85 (about $115) in a trio of colorways. It remains to be seen when (or if) these slides will make their way stateside and what their price will be.