Birkenstock Group B.V. & Co. KG is a German
shoe manufacturer known for its production of Birkenstocks, a German brand of
sandals and other shoes notable for their contoured
cork
Cork or CORK may refer to:
Materials
* Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product
** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container
***Wine cork
Places Ireland
* Cork (city)
** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
footbeds (soles) made with layers of
suede and
jute
Jute is a long, soft, shiny bast fiber that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from flowering plants in the genus ''Corchorus'', which is in the mallow family Malvaceae. The primary source of the fiber is ''Corchorus olit ...
, which conform to the shape of their wearers' feet.
Founded in 1774 by Johann Adam Birkenstock and headquartered in
Neustadt (Wied)
Neustadt (Wied) or ''Neustadt an der Wied'' is a municipality in the district of Neuwied in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated about 30 kilometres (20 miles) south-east of Bonn
The federal city of Bonn ( lat, Bonna) is a city on ...
,
Rhineland-Palatinate,
Germany, the company's original purpose was to create shoes that support and contour the foot, compared to the flat soles of many shoes during that time. In 1896 the Fussbett (footbed) was created and by 1925 Birkenstocks were sold all over Europe.
In 1966, Margot Fraser first brought Birkenstocks to America. In the US, they were sold in health stores, thus becoming associated with hippies in the 1970s.
In 2015, the EVA, a rubber sandal made out of ethylene-vinyl acetate, was made as a cheaper alternative to the original cork Birkenstock.
Various
fashion
Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...
designers have used Birkenstocks.
Phoebe Philo
Phoebe Philo OBE (born 1 January 1973) is a British fashion designer. She was the creative director of fashion brands Céline from 2008 to 2018 and Chloé from 2001 to 2006.
Early life and education
Philo was born in Paris to British parents wo ...
created one of the better known designs for
Celine. Composed of Birkenstock's Arizona and a
mink
Mink are dark-colored, semiaquatic, carnivorous mammals of the genera ''Neogale'' and '' Mustela'' and part of the family Mustelidae, which also includes weasels, otters, and ferrets. There are two extant species referred to as "mink": the A ...
covered footbed, the sandal is commonly called the "Furkenstock".
In February 2021,
L Catterton, the private equity firm backed by
Bernard Arnault's
LVMH
LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (), commonly known as LVMH, is a French holding multinational corporation and conglomerate specializing in luxury goods, headquartered in Paris. The company was formed in 1987 through the merger of fashion house ...
, said it had agreed to buy the German footwear group Birkenstock in a deal that valued the company at about €4bn.
History
Early years
![Birkenstocks near water](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Birkenstocks_near_water.jpg)
The Birkenstock brand traces its roots to Johann Adam Birkenstock, registered in 1774 as a "
vassal and shoemaker" in local church archives in the small Hessian village of Langen-Bergheim. In 1896, Johann's great-great-grandson Konrad Birkenstock developed the first contoured
insole for use by shoemakers in the production of custom footwear. Also in the year 1896 Konrad created the Fussbett (footbed) and opened two shoe stores in Frankfurt, Germany, where he continued to make and sell his insoles. The Birkenstock company created many educational courses to help spread awareness of the benefits of its shoes; in 1947, Konrad's son, Carl Birkenstock, wrote the book "Podiatry-The Carl Birkenstock System"—one of many books released by Birkenstock. The year 1902 saw the development of the first flexible arch-support for insertion into factory-made shoes; and in 1964, Karl Birkenstock developed these inserts into a shoe — thus producing the original prototype of the Birkenstock sandal. In 1925 Konrad Birkenstock expanded the company by buying a large factory in
Friedberg, Hesse. After World War II (1939–1945) the Birkenstock sandal was popular among returning soldiers because of the orthopedic support. Starting in 1963 and continuing into 1964 Karl Birkenstock released his first athletic sandal with a flexible footbed called Madrid. The shoe was constructed so that the wearer would have to grip their toes in order keep the sandals on, this resulted in toning the calf muscle, which became quite useful to athletes, especially among gymnasts.
Margot Fraser and introduction to U.S.
![Birkenstock Village - April 2022 - Sarah Stierch 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Birkenstock_Village_-_April_2022_-_Sarah_Stierch_01.jpg)
In 1966, Margot Fraser a German dressmaker who resided in
California, decided to travel back to Germany to visit a spa in
Bavaria, where she was recommended Madrids to help with a foot ailment caused by tight shoes. Due to Fraser's relief from her foot condition and her enthusiasm for the sandals, Birkenstocks were introduced in the United States—though some hurdles stood in the way of their eventual acceptance by American buyers. The sandals were rejected by many shoe stores due to their appearance, which led Fraser to health stores, specifically near the granola section. The 1970s brought a spike in sales.
In the United States, Birkenstocks were first popular among young men and later on among
flower child
Flower child originated as a synonym for hippie, especially among the idealistic young people who gathered in San Francisco and the surrounding area during the Summer of Love in 1967. It was the custom of "flower children" to wear and distribute ...
ren, a group traditionally associated with
American liberalism. The shoe became popular with
hippies
A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to different countries around ...
and others who had a "back to nature" philosophy and appreciated the natural foot shape and foot-friendly comfort of Birkenstocks. In 1973, Birkenstock's most popular sandal, the Arizona, was introduced.
Expansion and present day
Fraser founded a trading company named Birkenstock Footprint Sandals, Inc., in
Novato, California. Renamed Birkenstock Distribution USA, Inc. (BDUSA), in 2005, the company remained until 2007 the exclusive importer and distributor of Birkenstock name-brand products in the United States. In 2007 the owners of Birkenstock Orthopädie GmbH & Co. KG purchased their long-standing distribution partner BDUSA.
In 1986
Nordstrom became the first department store to sell Birkenstock sandals.
![GIZEH - Cuir Exquisite - Noir](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/GIZEH_-_Cuir_Exquisite_-_Noir.jpg)
In the early 1990s "Birks" enjoyed another spike in sales among high-school and college-aged
Generation Xers, in part due to the introduction of Birkenstocks into High Fashion, most notably,
Kate Moss
Katherine Ann Moss (born 16 January 1974) is a British model. Arriving at the end of the "supermodel era", Moss rose to fame in the early 1990s as part of the heroin chic fashion trend. Her collaborations with Calvin Klein brought her to fas ...
. Birkenstocks continued to spread to Britain in the early 2000s due to headlines of
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Kate Paltrow (; born ) is an American actress and businesswoman. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award.
Paltrow gained notice for her early work in films ...
, who was spotted wearing them. Birkenstocks saw another comeback among teens and young adults in the early 2010s, as well as in the late 2010s due in part to the
VSCO girl
VSCO girls or VSCO kids () emerged among teenagers around mid- to late-2019. Named after the VSCO photography app, VSCO girls "dress and act in a way that is nearly indistinguishable from one another", using oversized T-shirts, sweatshirts or swe ...
trend. During the 2004 U.S. presidential primary, some conservatives derided
Howard Dean's supporters as "Birkenstock liberals".
In 2018, the company was given
PETA
Peta or PETA may refer to:
Acronym
* Pembela Tanah Air, a militia established by the occupying Japanese in Indonesia in 1943
* People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, an American animal rights organization
* People Eating Tasty Animals, an ...
's Libby Award for being the "Most Animal-Friendly Shoe Company."
High fashion
In 2012 Birkenstocks were spotted on a Céline runway in Paris. Called "Furkenstocks", this recreation of the Arizona sandal incorporated a mink covered footbed. Many other designers have also created their own version of the sandal including
Giambattista Valli and
Givenchy.
In 2019
Valentino collaborated with Birkenstock to create their own version of the sandal featured at Men's Paris Fashion Week.
On June 3, 2021, the Birkenstock Group announced a collaboration with fashion designer
Rick Owens. Starting on June 4 of that year, interpretations of the Arizona and Boston models were released. A new Rotterdam style was also presented and released for sale.
Production
![Birkenstock Arizona ESD](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Birkenstock_Arizona_ESD.jpg)
The original footbed of the Birkenstock shoe was created in the 1930s and possesses four different layers that complete the shoes. The first layer of the shoe is the shock absorbent sole, followed by a layer of
jute
Jute is a long, soft, shiny bast fiber that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from flowering plants in the genus ''Corchorus'', which is in the mallow family Malvaceae. The primary source of the fiber is ''Corchorus olit ...
fibers, a firm cork footbed and another layer of jute. The last layer is the footbed line which is a soft suede.
In addition to the original footbed, Birkenstock also gives the option of a soft footbed. The shoe is made of the same materials as the original footbed, with the addition of a foam insert placed under the suede lining.
Birkenstock has also introduced a lightweight, waterproof shoe called the Birkenstock EVA, made of a material called Ethylene-Vinyl-Acetate or EVA.
References
External links
*{{Official website, http://www.birkenstock.com/
* https://www.mein-outlet.com/outlets/birkenstock-outlet/ List of all Birkenstock outlets in Germany
Companies established in 1774
Goods manufactured in Germany
German brands
Sandals
Shoe brands
Shoe companies of Germany
2021 mergers and acquisitions