An illustration of Johann Birkenstock<\/p><\/div>\n
The Birkenstock story begins in 1774 when Johann Adam Birkenstock was listed as “subject and cobbler” in the archives of a church in Langen-Bergheim,\u00a0 a small village in the German district of Hammersbach. Fast forward over one hundred years and Johann’s grandson, Konrad Birkenstock, had become a master cobbler, running two specialty shoe shops in Frankfurt. In 1896, Konrad conceived the first Birkenstock revolution; the flexible insole. At this point, a completely flat footbed was the standard for all forms of footwear, but Konrad sought to design a product that provided greater comfort and traction by mimicking the curves and contours of feet. He began manufacturing Birkenstock\u00a0‘Fu\u00dfbett’\u00a0<\/em>insoles and selling them to specialist shoemakers.<\/p>\nImage via Complete Birkenstock<\/p><\/div>\n
Not long after the conception of the flexible insole, Konrad began giving expert lectures to shoemakers and cobblers all over Germany and Austria,\u00a0 explaining his concept of malleable, custom-made footwear. He used these opportunities to sell production licenses for his revolutionary flexible footbed to other shoemakers. By 1902, Konrad had designed the first flexible arch support\u2014an insert for factory-made shoes\u2014and begun distributing this product all over Germany.<\/p>\n
Image via Birkenstock<\/p><\/div>\n
Over two decades later in 1925, Birkenstock\u2014still led by Konrad Birkenstock\u2014purchased and extended a large factory in Friedberg, Germany, to accommodate the ever-growing demand for their patented\u00a0Fu\u00dfbett.\u00a0<\/em>Konrad’s son, Carl, joined the family business and furthered Birkenstock’s foray into podiatry by launching Birkenstock training courses. Endorsed by physicians, these one-week podiatry and specialist footwear courses were attended by over five thousand industry professionals. Carl Birkenstock went on to publish ‘Podiatry\u2014The Carl Birkenstock System’ in 1947, an illustrated book expanding on the theories that spawned Birkenstock’s inventions.<\/p>\nPodiatry- The Carl Birkenstock System via Complete Birkenstock<\/p><\/div>\n
It wasn’t until the early sixties that Birkenstock would finally produce a ready-to-wear piece of footwear. Karl Birkenstock’s son, Carl, launched the Madrid style in 1963, the brand’s first sandal. Standing as the worlds first fitness sandal, the Madrid featured a singular strap over the toes and a deep, flexible footbed, similar to those found on Birkenstock sandals to this day.<\/p>\n
Birkenstock Madrid (left) and Arizona (right) on a 70’s advert via Pinterest<\/p><\/div>\n
The reaches of the Birkenstock brand were still limited to Germany and other parts of mainland Europe until an American tourist named Margot Fraser visited Germany in 1966. Margot was allegedly introduced to Birkenstock sandals in a German spa and found they provided swift relief for the chronic foot pain she had suffered for years. Inspired by these health benefits, Margot decided to import Birkenstocks to the USA, founding a trading company called Birkenstock Footprint Sandals, Inc.<\/em> in California. Margot’s business endured a slow start, but the early seventies saw Birkenstock boom into fashion with the release of the now-iconic Birkenstock Arizona. Birkenstocks became popular amongst ‘hippie’ and other liberalist sub-cultures due to their somewhat unconventional appearance. The brand’s success saw Margot’s company grow into a multi-million dollar operation over the next thirty years and she is now credited as playing a huge role in the global success of Birkenstock.<\/p>\nMargot Fraser in front of a Birkenstock van via Complete Birkenstock<\/p><\/div>\n
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A vintage\u00a0Birkenstock Footprint Sandals, Inc. advert via Ann Harbor District Library<\/p><\/div>\n
At the heart of every Birkenstock sandal was the brand’s signature footbed. Conceived in the thirties, the Birkenstock footbed features a deep, contoured composition with a raised toe-bar for grip and stability. Usually sat upon an EVA outsole, the footbed is constructed from cork-latex with a foam overlay and suede lining. In addition to being comfy and posture-regulating from the get- go, the natural materials used to build the Birkenstock footbed soften and mold to the wearer’s feet over time, improving comfort and traction with each wear.<\/p>\n
Birkenstock Footbed guide via TWPedorthic<\/p><\/div>\n
By 1985, Birkenstock was a household name with numerous distributors and stockists across the world selling a collection of up to forty style\/ color combinations. The brand’s philosophy remained centered on podiatry and healthy footwear, with Karl Birkenstock publishing another book, ‘The Birkenstock Foot Primer’, in a run of 360,000 copies. In the late eighties, Birkenstock took measures to reduce the environmental impact of the brand’s operations, switching to environmentally-friendly adhesives and updating their manufacturing processes to reduce energy consumption by 90%. These efforts were unprecedented in shoemaking and set a benchmark for brands across the globe.<\/p>\n