MFMBirkenstocks haven’t all being the fashionistas shoe of choice, in fact its has some pretty unsavoury stereotypes attached it in the past, but tides have turned on this humble German shoe and I am very much here for it.
Once donning the feet of granola crunchers and hippies can now be seen on the feet of Kanye West and Kendall Jenner and its not hard to understand why. They have always put function over form and focused heavily on the comfort aspect of their shoes.
“It’s a brand that puts function over form,” says Grailed brand director and long-time Birkenstock wearer Lawrence Schlossman. “Birkenstock is a brand that has always been about the function, the comfort and the durability of the shoe. For me, the anti-fashion fashion element of the shoe is something that I’ve always been drawn to.” Schlossman attributes the brand’s recent rise in popularity to its association with subcultural trends like normcore, placing the brand
alongside Patagonia and New Balance 990s.
By focusing on comfort, they naturally became a firm favourite during the many lockdowns, people were desperate for a shoe that not only good liked but provided the comfort that working from home required, up steps the Boston. Lockdowns are thankfully a distant memory but the shoes presence on peoples feet has never been stronger, grab a pair and see what 250 years and craftsmanship feels like.