It was enough to attach one or two straps to it. In 1877, the German shoemaker Johann Adam Birkenstock, who worked in Langen-Bergheim, Hesse, had not invented powder, but he made good cork soles that could be used in any way. They insulated the foot from the cold, did not allow it to get wet and, above all, were flexible, quiet and light, which was a change from the noisy rigidity of wooden shoes. Business is good, customers are loyal, the invention is progressing well, because almost two centuries later it still belonged to the same family when one of the descendants of the brilliant shoemaker did something even more ingenious: he created the first shoe insole that was attached to the Anatomy of the foot, its depressions, arches and curves is adapted. By 1947, World War II was long over and another descendant was faring even better. Carl Birkenstock was interested in orthopedics, wrote a treatise and developed the anatomical sole, making it a sole that not only respects the shape of the foot, but also aims to support it, even correct it and improve its configuration. The sole has two adjustable buckle straps, is called Arizona and becomes a new basic, the zero-grade shoe.
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In 1963, the whole world knew how to say “Birkenstock” by whispering the “s.” It is the neo-bucolic era in which girls dream of traveling through Lorraine with their wooden shoes and their wide floral dresses. Not to be forgotten are the boys who conquer the lost land with their single-strap soles, the Madrid with or without socks, so-called “gymnastics sandals”, and who literally snub the much-maligned consumer society. The hippie wave is passing, but nothing is lost. The Arizona two-strap sandal became a symbol of the European, especially German, hunk, who especially picnicked under the Eiffel Tower in floating Bermuda shorts with beer and sausages. The Birkenstock becomes a caricature. Is this the end of the longest-lasting sole in sole history? This means that little is known about the animal and, in particular, about the tenacity and perseverance of a dynasty of which it is the symbol and pride.
The Birkenstock brand has just filed its IPO application on Wall Street. Photo from the Birkenstock Instagram page
The Arizona model won’t stay with the rednecks for long. New, more sophisticated variations are coming onto the market. The minimalist Madrid with a strap and large buckle is available in different colors. The Giza, Salome the Sandal, with her male twin, unsurprisingly named Ramses, was released in 1983. It plays contemporary antiquity and offers itself pharaonic dignity with little effect until it becomes a new icon. In 1979, Birkenstock thought its ergonomic sole would fit well with the old European clog tradition. The Boston clog was created in honor of the American city known for its relaxed lifestyle and love of comfort. But we had to wait until the late 1990s to see the real revival of the Birkenstock model, which exploded in the 2000s. It is said that the Arizona and Boston models owe their legendary fate to the world of technology. It is no coincidence that in 2022, lazy camel-colored suede Arizona sandals that belonged to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs were auctioned in the United States for $ 218,000. In the 2000s, the Birkenstock was one of the paraphernalia for showing off. The Boston model has conquered high schools, the dream companion of the teenager who is sometimes slumped, exhausted by his hormones and sometimes shaken by adrenaline rushes that make him swing his shoe to the ceiling and Birkenstock for Nike for the duration of a basketball game to betray. Boston is like walking down the street in slippers knowing you have shoes.
In 2012, Birkenstock experienced a new turning point: the brand, strongly rooted in its artisanal DNA, began its great flirtation with luxury. Of course, the collaboration with the German fashion brand Jil Sander. The result is a minimalist line that is characteristic of Jil Sander. Since then, Birkenstock has continued with Valentino, Rick Owens, Proenza Schouler and more. Her creations are decorated with jewelry, chains and fur based on a Céline episode for a “Furkenstock” model. The sandal appeared on the Oscars red carpet on the feet of Frances McDormand and was immortalized on those of Gwyneth Paltrow, Britney Spears and Katy Perry. And then of course there’s Barbie (we’ll tell you the color) in the film, who slides at Margot Robbie’s feet, tired of her heels.
After coming under the control of funds linked to luxury giant LVMH, the Birkenstock brand has just filed its initial public offering on Wall Street. If the world’s ugliest shoe generates $1.22 billion in sales and $183 million in net profits, it’s because it has an unimagined inner beauty.
It was enough to attach one or two straps to it. In 1877, the German shoemaker Johann Adam Birkenstock, who worked in Langen-Bergheim, Hesse, had not invented powder, but he made good cork soles that could be used in any way. They insulated the foot from the cold, did not allow it to get wet and, above all, were flexible, silent and…