BIRKENSTOCK was born of a conviction that footwear should be comfortable, and shaped by the foot’s natural form.
Advertising, 1970s.
Advertising, 1995
Catalog.
Advertising, 1970s.
KNOWING LEFT FROM RIGHT
Orthopedic Footbed Adjustment.
THE BIRKENSTOCK SYSTEM
Ideal Shoe Patent, Belgium 1951, figure 3-5.
“The foot is designed by nature to walk barefoot on soft, uneven natural ground,” Carl Birkenstock wrote in Fußorthopädie: Das System Carl Birkenstock. The book, published in 1949, went on to become known as his most significant publication about foot health and tells of the benefits of Naturgewolltes Gehen (walking as nature intended).
With the aid of detailed diagrams, Carl Birkenstock described the delicate anatomy of the human foot, and how it can be deformed by inappropriate footwear, addressing questions such as “should insoles be standard?” and explained the causes and cures of issues including splayfoot, fallen arches and flatfoot.
The contents of the book were the culmination of Birkenstock’s teachings during the week-long seminars he had held since the early 1930s, teaching shoe salespeople the basics of his System Birkenstock. “He was encouraged by his students to publish his studies on foot disorders and what could be done to prevent them,” says historian Andrea H. Schneider-Braunberger. “His books were a way of convincing the mainstream industry of the benefits of the footbed.”
The foot is designed by nature to walk barefoot on soft, uneven natural ground.
Advertising, 1935
Birkenstock Post 4, page 10.
Card, 1955.
Information about the Footbed.
EASING THE LOAD
After World War I, millions of German soldiers returned from the battlefields suffering with foot problems, and sales of orthopedic BIRKENSTOCK footbeds boomed as a result. These veterans recognized BIRKENSTOCKS as the optimum way to treat their ailments, and paid accordingly.
The medical profession continued to embrace the practicality of BIRKENSTOCKs. After his lukewarm reception at the 1963 shoe trade fair in Düsseldorf, Karl Birkenstock sent letters to doctors outlining the health benefits of the Original Birkenstock-Footbed Sandals and offering to send out samples of the shoe, and was soon swamped with orders from healthcare workers, attuned to the value of comfort and durability in their demanding roles.
Advertising, 1970s.
Birkenstock Post 14, page 3.
Advertising sketch, 1955.
Birkenstock Post 4, page 10.
BIRKENSTOCK went on to center its endorsement in a 1984 promotional campaign in the US, marketing its “funny looking” sandals to “people who have to stand up all day and want to enjoy it more”. BIRKENSTOCK promised a solution: “You’re on your feet all day. Your back aches. Your feet hurt. You get tired and irritable. Now there is an answer.”
ACCESS ALL AREAS
Advertising.1981.
I must have walked thousands of miles in BIRKENSTOCKs and stood for hundreds of hours.
Medical workers, spending long days on their feet, were among the first to embrace BIRKENSTOCKS. In 1989, the company made moves to reach more professionals with the launch of the Super Grip sole, especially designed for work environments and potential slip hazards.
Today, the Professionals range has expanded to cover an entire range of work-appropriate footwear for everyone including gardeners, chefs, surgeons and housekeepers. These hard-wearing designs all come with the classic, anatomically shaped footbed to provide comfort for those who have to spend long days on their feet, as well as innovative design features like non-slip, puncture-resistant rubber or polyurethane soles, anti-static materials to prevent the buildup of electrostatic charge and wipe-clean uppers. BIRKENSTOCK’s work and safety shoes also have protective steel toe caps that can withstand a force of up to 200 joules.
“I must have walked thousands of miles in BIRKENSTOCKs and stood for hundreds of hours,” says British top chef Tom Sellers, of the Michelin-starred London restaurant Story. In 2023, Sellers appeared in a promotion for BIRKENSTOCK’s Professionals range, wearing designs from the same range he wears in the kitchen.
THE KORK-CLOG PROVES TIMELESS
Kith Editorial.
When the BOSTON clog (then called Kork-Clog) hit shelves in 1976, it was immediately embraced by diehard BIRKENSTOCK customers for its practical design. Its lightweight, closed-toe form made it the ultimate indoor-outdoor shoe for work and leisure. But it would be more than half a century before the shoe garnered a reputation as a mainstream fashion item.
“Balenciaga bags have come and gone, but the BOSTONs have dug their heels in,” wrote Alice Newbold in a 2023 article for Vogue World. “BIRKENSTOCK is struggling to satisfy demand, and customers are paying upwards of double for pairs on resale sites.” Sales were buoyed by sightings on some of the fashion world’s most influential figures, from Hollywood actor Kristen Stewart to model and media personality Kendall Jenner.
NOT JUST A SANDAL
Though best known for its iconic sandals, the BIRKENSTOCK company has never limited itself in pursuit of its goal of foot health.
In 2020, BIRKENSTOCK struck out from its signature designs with its first foray into the sneaker market: the BEND collection. The lace-up shoe launched both low and high-top, in a variety of different colorways. BIRKENSTOCK stayed true to its commitment to providing the optimum anatomical fit. Each model came equipped with a polyurethane and cork midsoles for maximum shock absorption as well as a breathable, microfiber lining that adapts to the form of the foot.
