Birkenstocks: for decades a cross without delight for me. Yet I’ve worn «ugly» shoes (God of fashion forgive me for those platform shoes, you know what I mean). But while I catalog them under this adjective, I immediately regret it.
Because, in 2023, Birkenstocks are cool shoes. Indeed they are THE cool shoes. And to give them the definitive brand of wannahave absolute from all the fashion victims of the planet, she was the one whose sole of the foot, after decades, went down to the ground floor just for them: Barbie.
Barbie effect
As the online shopping platform reports lyst, Greta Gerwig’s film starring the Mattel doll this summer has generated a boom in sales of model Arizona rSearched 110% more times than usual.
Two scenes from the super-grossing film were enough to create a real obsession: the first, in which Stereotypical Barbie/Margot Robbie chooses between the blue and red pill in pink stiletto and Arizona classic in brown leather (this year marks the 50th anniversary of its birth); the second in which, facing a sort of personal growth, to get out of character and become a person, Barbie wears yes on her feet Birkenstock, but (at least) powder (a model, the Big Buckle Slidesimmediately sold out).
And so, thanks or, better to say, also because of Barbie, I find myself faltering, after decades in which, even at the height of their fame, I never gave in to having them in my shoe rack. After all, over time, too for other reasons I found myself reviewing my positions, each time yielding a notch (and a centimeter of heel) in the add to cart direction. So that’s why I should have figured it out sooner than a pointy-footed doll that the Birkenstocks (perhaps) they would have deserved a credit card swipe from me even sooner.
They’ve been on the catwalk since the 90s
In 1993 the young Marc Jacobs put them in the Perry Ellis Spring-Summer 1993 grunge fashion show in a moment of great turning point in the fashion sector, or when the grunge. Birkenstock sandals then returned to the runway two decades later in the show Céline by Phoebe Philo from 2012and then more and more they began to rage at the feet of models and models in various fashion shows of emblazoned fashion houses, from Givenchy to Valentino.
Gwyneth Paltrow has been wearing them for decades
That the shoes always preferred by a trendsetter like Gwyneth Paltrow are slippers, says a lot. The actress, now an entrepreneur, began to show off Birkenstocks at the beginning of the third millennium combined from time to time with floral dresses, Bermuda shorts, jeans and classic trousers. In 2002 she was in fact surprised in London with a pair of Arizona on her feet, revealing it coolness and paving the way for many celebs of any age and generation who now show themselves with these shoes. What was initially considered a style error has turned into a huge craze that continues today. There’s a lot to learn, sir.
There is none more comfortable
Fussbed – or literally «bed for the feet» – is a term that many fashion brands use to indicate particularly comfortable flat sandals. But they should know that the noun was patented by Birkenstock to define its particularity anatomical footbed. Which, therefore, is the only one that can boast this name. The Birkenstock footbed construction, thought out to the last detail and based on the natural imprint of a foot in the sand, helps to ensure that the feet can withstand the footwear for a long time without overloading themselves. The result is a pleasant feeling of well-being. A plus not bad if combined with trendy DNA.
They have attracted the attention of a luxury giant like LVMH
Bernard Arnault (financial supporter of L-Catterton, an investment fund controlled by LVMH, the largest luxury group in the world which acquired Birkenstock in 2021) would never have thought one day he would have to thank the rampant Barbie craze. Indeed, a possible listing of the German brand on the Stock Exchange would yield today between 8 and 10 billion euros, compared with the 4 spent to acquire it. And I should have understood it a handful of years ago that a giant of this magnitude in its portfolio of brands includes Louis Vuitton, Dior, Fendi and Loewe… is that enough for you? – he absolutely couldn’t bother himself for loser Nordic tourist shoes. Beyond the white sock, there was more.
Carrie Bradshaw’s favorite brand made us a capsule
In fact, ever since Teutonic brutalism met Parisian glamour, I’ve seriously started to waver about Birkenstocks. That is when in 2022 even Manolo Blahnik, the most spotted brand on Carrie Bradshaw’s arched feet, folded his soles to the ground and launched one of his capsule collections unexpected, joining the many brands that over time have linked their name to that of the German brand, such as Valentine Garavani, Rick Owens, Dior, Proenza Schouler, Stussy, Jil Sander.
Those of Steve Jobs have been sold for an exorbitant amount
An enormous passion has also linked Birkenstocks to Steve Jobs: a pair of sandals he wore sold at auction in 2022 by Julien’s Auctions for a record price of $218,750. “The cork and jute footbed retains Jobs’ footprints, modeled after years of use,” reads the presentation on the auction house’s website. A shoe that has become a uniform. And then an heirloom.
Source: Vanity Fair
I’m Susan Karen, a professional writer and editor at World Stock Market. I specialize in Entertainment news, writing stories that keep readers informed on all the latest developments in the industry. With over five years of experience in creating engaging content and copywriting for various media outlets, I have grown to become an invaluable asset to any team.
