Birkenstock

Orthopedic sandals of the German company Birkenstock today are popular with fashionistas, bloggers, stars, they can be found on the catwalks and glossy lookbooks. Let's find out how the brand’s history began and how these sandals managed to conquer the whole world.

Mention of the first shoemaker by the name of Birkenstock falls on 1774. More than a century later, in 1896, Konrad Birkenshtok continued the craft of his ancestor, which grew into two shoe stores in Frankfurt.

In 1902, a real revolution took place in the world of shoes - he introduced the world to an innovative orthopedic insole that repeats the bends of the foot. This year can be considered the beginning of a long journey of the Birkenstock brand.

In the 1920s, production expanded to such an extent that the owners seriously considered buying a plant. In 1925, they acquired a factory in Friedberg, where, among other things, they began to produce unique orthopedic insoles - Blue Footbed, and brand products began to be delivered throughout Europe.

In 1932, it was decided to conduct orthopedic seminars, which were attended by leading specialists and doctors from around the world. They unanimously adopted the Birkenstock system as an authoritative guide to orthopedics.

In the early 60s, sandals were created, which became widespread as shoes for fitness. He developed a unique flexible material that served as the sole for shoes, which today is known as Birkenstocks.

But they got total distribution thanks to the American Margot Fraser, who on vacation in Germany was offered orthopedic sandals as a means of getting rid of leg pains.

As it usually happens, she faced a lot of difficulties - the stores simply refused to take on “plain sandals” that had nothing to do with fashion.

Then it occurred to her to put them up for sale in health food stores. At first, the demand for them was small, but with the development of eco-trends and a healthy lifestyle, birken stocks gained enormous popularity.

On the catwalks, they began to appear in the 90s, but the fashionistas still did not look in their direction. They only became part of fashion bows in 2013, when the total conformism was replaced by a careless normcore and practical urban.

The company itself has repeatedly bothered with various American and European awards, one of the most significant is the UK Prize for design that never goes out of style and suits people of any age.

Birkenstock sandals and slippers have a recognizable design. Most often, these are 1, 2 or 3 straps located across. Thanks to the presence of buckles, the completeness of the shoe can be adjusted.

A brand-name orthopedic insole that resembles a footprint in the sand is embedded in absolutely any model. It protects the foot from fatigue and helps to properly maintain posture.

They make it from an environmentally friendly material - the milky juice of rubber plants, so it also has an antibacterial effect.

Today the assortment of the brand includes a variety of shoes - sandals and slippers, boots, spring boots and even slippers.

Birkenstock slippers are represented by three popular models:

• Madrid is a model with one strap, which was invented in the early 60s. For a long time it was successful as shoes for fitness classes.
• Arizona - the model with two straps, which is most popular. After Kate Moss was captured in them in the 90s, flip flops acquired the status of cults and gained the greatest distribution from the entire assortment of the brand.

• Florida is a model with three straps, which is also in great demand among fashionistas. Due to the large number of jumpers, it keeps its foot securely.

The most popular sandal pattern is called Milano. It is an improved version of the Arizona model: two wide straps - across the foot, and one - on the heel. This allows you to more securely fix the shoes on the foot, which is especially true for those who are used to walking a lot.

The Rio looks elegant. It is very similar to ordinary sandals - one strap in front and another strap covering the arch of the foot. Contrary to expectations, this couple is not very popular.

Birkenstock stock blogs are represented by two models - Boston and Amsterdam. These are flip flops closed in front, which also resemble clogs. Amsterdam is a concise model without any additional elements, and Boston is complemented by a signature strap.

The first five pairs of this model, called the Gizeh, went on sale in the early 80s. They quickly gained popularity among fans of Vietnamese, because they combine a stylish design and the convenience of classic birken rods.

The children's range is completely no different from the adult - in the assortment you will find all of the above models, only smaller ones.

The only difference is a more diverse design, models for girls are decorated with flowers, images of Disney characters and heroes of other cartoons.

First of all, birken stocks need to be selected according to the fullness of their legs. When placing an order on the official website, you can choose a model for high and normal completeness (regular) and for standard and narrow (narrow).Each of them is marked with a special icon, which is applied to the inside of the sole.

All shoes go size to size, although some people think that birken rods are larger in size by half. In fact, a half-centimeter stock is specifically provided by the manufacturer - this allows you to walk in these shoes for a long time and with comfort.

It can be safely stated that birken stocks are universal. They can be worn almost all year round - fortunately, they are great to combine with rough melange socks. Consider the most stylish combinations.

The most common option is to wear flip flops with different pants. They look no worse than other summer shoes with tucked or cropped jeans and trousers.

The perfect summer look is birkenstocks and shorts. This is a casual casual that will always help out when there is nothing to wear. Shorts can be almost any, but the most popular, of course, are jeans.

It seems that rough sandals and skirts are unlikely to meet in one bow, but in practice it's different. They look great with a knitted pencil skirt, with a fluffy midi length skirt and a flying fabric skirt.

Oddly enough, these orthopedic flip flops seem to be created to wear them with a dress in a linen style. It turns out a spectacular game in contrasts - a feminine sundress on thin straps and rough voluminous sandals.

These wide cropped trousers are still popular, so they can be safely combined with Birkenstock sandals. It turns out a very harmonious relaxed look - nothing restricts the movements, the legs feel as comfortable as possible, and you look very stylish.

Birkenstock can complement not only everyday, but also a sporty look.

Moreover, they will look good in a business image if you do not have a strict dress code at work. Wear them with strict trousers, complemented by a T-shirt or relaxed shirt.

Most happy Birkenstock shoe owners speak positively of her. Of course, there are those who consider it rude and uninteresting, but here we can draw an analogy with ugg boots - someone loves, someone hates, but no one is indifferent.

Buyers note a large lineup, excellent orthopedic effect and excellent German quality. They are highly resistant to wear and serve more than one season.

True, you need to be prepared for the fact that over time the sole slightly changes shape - as a rule, the socks are slightly bent up. It's all about the material from which it is made - it is quite soft. However, this does not affect the comfort of wearing.

The main disadvantage of the girls is the high cost - it starts at $ 30 per pair. However, given the length of the socks and the comfort that they provide to the legs, this price is justified.