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We all know what Birkenstocks look like, right? Personally, I don't like them, but they became a billion-dollar brand somehow. Being a 250-year-old company, I'm surprised they made a reappearance in major fashion, but it also makes sense because of how their shoes supposedly are.
Being founded in 1774, they became very popular because they were made to contour the foot, compared to the flat-soled shoes at the time. In 1896, the Fussbett (footbed) was created and by 1925, Birkenstocks were being sold all over Europe. Apparently, the company also created educational courses about proper care of the feet and the benefits of the shoes. After WWII, it was popular among the returning soldiers because of the orthopedic support. I can see that because I'd assume most of them had been hurt in some kind of way. Also, in 1963, Karl Birkenstock constructed an athletic sandal had had more grip on the toes. It was especially popular among gymnasts.
In 1966, a woman named Margot Fraser brought Birkenstocks to America because of an ailment in her feet. They were then introduced to the rest of America but were obviously rejected due to their appearance. So they ended up in places called health stores. The 70s brought a spike in sales from men, hippies, and people called "flower children." And in 1973, the style, Arizona, was introduced and remains the most popular style today. It is a brand that has always been about function," said Maggie Sause, director of Go To Market at Red Antler.
Surprisingly, even some fans of the shoes are embarrassed by the way they look. Quynh Mai, founder/CEO of Qulture, said that they were 100% a hippie shoe that you wore in the dorms when you knew no one was going to see you. Nicole Anderson, writer and editor, said that she hated them when she was younger. She converted to them because they started having sleeker styles coming out. I wonder if that's going to be me in the future because right now, I'm currently a Birkenstocks hater. But we shall see.
Younger generations have obviously been rejecting social norms, so this shoe is honestly perfect. It's also not uncommon to see major people in fashion wear them, so that's great publicity. Birkenstocks has also collabed with high-end fashion brands like Dior and Rick Owens, acquiring new customers. This of course made it okay for more regular people to wear them because if they saw them on the coolest person in the room, it would give them permission to wear them.
I will say that I think COVID-19 has helped them out too, as comfort has become more of a priority. One's appearance isn't as big as it was, so we don't have to break our backs when it comes to fashion. I've been seeing the same thing happening with UGG slippers. People started wearing them outside and to class, so now it's like they're "normal" shoes. Looks-wise, I will always prefer UGGS. They're warmer too so that's a plus.
I wonder if there will ever be a decline in Birkenstocks at this point, considering comfort has taken over. Maybe cancel culture might get them. I mean, it got Victoria's Secret, unfortunately. But to my knowledge, Birkenstock just has an interest in making comfortable shoes, so they'll be around for a long while.
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