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The Real Reason Everyone You Know Loves Birkenstock Sandals So Much

How did these “ugly” sandals from the 18th century develop such a dedicated fanbase?

sandalsBirkenstock

By Jacorey Moon

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Though Birkenstock sandals first gained prominence in the ’60s and ’70s — you can thank the hippies for that — they’ve never been more popular than they are today. Seemingly everyone now owns a pair of the brand’s comfortable, carefree sandals or clogs.

So how did Birkenstock become such a household name? Let’s examine, shall we?

The Backstory

The Birkenstock brand dates back to 1774 and was founded by cobbler Johann Adam Birkenstock. His descendant Konrad Birkenstock is credited with the creation of the brand’s famously flexible footbed design in 1896 as an ergonomic antidote to what existed in shoes at the time. According to Birkenstock, his design remains essentially unchanged to this day.

birkenstock footbeds
The Birkenstock footbed remains virtually unchanged from its original design from 1896, says the brand.
Birkenstock

By the ’60s, the family brand created a single-strap design sandal and used their footbeds — made with cork and foam for the Madrid silhouette. With the help of Margot Fraser, a German dressmaker who resided in San Francisco but was visiting Germany and needed a pair of shoes to soothe her feet, the shoes made their way back to the States.

Fraser bought the import rights to sell the shoes but the only establishments interested in stocking them were health food stores. Thus was born Birkenstock’s connection to the hippie movement.

lasts used to make Birkenstock footbeds
The lasts used to make Birkenstock footbeds.
Birkenstock

In the ‘90s, the ugly-chic sandals resonated with subcultures in fashion, thanks in large part to Kate Moss sporting the shoes while doing a photoshoot on the beaches of Camber Sands. From then on, their popularity has only gone up.

What makes Birkenstocks so unique?

Today, Birkenstock is popular due to its inherent casual vibe and comfort. But also, the brand is popular due to the celeb hype it continuously receives.

Celebrity street style posts can dramatically change a brand’s bottom line with just one post from a mega influencer or fashion icon, and Birkenstocks have had plenty. In the last five years, Birkenstocks were on the feet of stars like Kendall Jenner, Kaia Gerber, Gigi Hadid and Gwenyth Paltrow.

Birkenstock also offers a broad range of styles that gives potential wearers various options. The Boston clog, a close-toe sandal first launched in 1979, has become the face of the “potato shoe” trend across the internet, usurping Ugg slippers as the ugly shoe du jour.

Birkenstock has also collaborated with iconic brands like Dior, Isabel Marant, Rick Owens, Proenza Schouler, Valentino and Manolo Blahnik — catapulting the brand to the very top of the fashion world.

At the end of the day, however, perhaps the real reason Birkenstocks remain so relevant is the same one that made them popular in the first place: they’re just so dang comfortable.

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