Birkenstock
about birkenstock
How it all started
The global brand Birkenstock was founded back in 1774 by Johann Adam Birkenstock, a cobbler living in the small village of Langen-Bergheim in Hesse, Germany. In 1896 Konrad Birkenstock, Johann’s grandson and a master cobbler, was running two stores in Frankfurt, Germany. He came up with a concept for a completely new shape of footwear that would revolutionize shoe design worldwide. He found himself wondering why the only kind of shoes that existed were flat inside, even though our feet are curved. Konrad came to the conclusion that if the shape of shoes actually resembled the shape of our feet, they would be a lot more comfortable to wear. He designed his first prototype with a contoured insole that could be used to create all types of footwear. Three years later, in 1899, Konrad Birkenstock began holding specialist classes to explain his concept for custom-made shoes. Konrad also started to sell licenses, which allowed other shoemakers to create their own footwear using his innovative footbed shoe design.
In 1902 Konrad went on to develop a flexible arch support that could be inserted in any factory-made shoes. By 1925 customer demand for Birkenstock flexible insoles was so high that the company had to expand manufacturing with a new larger factory and round-the-clock production of the product that Germans couldn’t get enough of. Carl Birkenstock, Konrad’s son, launched his Birkenstock foot-health training courses in 1932, another positive development for the Birkenstock company. In the following years, over 5000 professionals would take part in the week-long specialist training courses. Even physicians joined the courses, which were later referred as the “Carl Birkenstock System”. To accompany the courses the company also brought out a textbook, “Podiatry – The Carl Birkenstock System” that was published in a print run of 14,000 copies. With 112 pages and 55 illustrations Carl’s book was a best-seller in its day.
Thirty years later, in 1963, Carl Birkenstock took his grandfather’s business to the next level – by manufacturing a ready to wear shoe – the first Birkenstock sandal was created! He launched the Madrid model, the first fitness sandal with a very flexible footbed, which laid the foundation for today’s market in comfort footwear. The design was so successful it is a footwear icon and effectively unchanged more than 50 years on.
The international breakthrough of Birkenstock
The company’s international breakthrough followed a few years later. In 1966 a woman named Margot Fraser, who was spending her vacation in Germany, started experiencing discomfort from her shoes. Visiting a spa for relaxation, someone suggested she try on a pair of Birkenstocks. Margot experienced immediate relief when she slipped on the comfortable sandals. To her amazement, after returning back home to California, Margot Fraser realised that the chronic foot pain she had been experiencing for years had disappeared out of the blue. Highly convinced of their miraculous health benefits, the American began importing Birkenstock’s footwear to the United States. Birkenstock’s popularity saw a big increase in the 1970s. A brand new shoe was introduced to the market, the “Arizona”. With a cork-latex footbed and leather upper the Arizona has established itself as a timeless classic.
In the 1980s, Birkenstock’s revolutionary footwear was doing so well in the United States that the brand continued to expand, producing its footwear in up to 40 different styles and colours. Later on that decade Birkenstock became a pioneer in environmental awareness, using environmentally sustainable materials in the manufacture of their products. Within a few years Birkenstock had managed to reduce their energy consumption by over 90% while still expanding. The company continues to be a green pace-setter. 2013 marked a significant turning point for Birkenstock when it became a corporation. The brand with a very strong family history made the transition from 38 individual companies to a group with three business units, including production, distribution and services.
Today Birkenstock footwear is in high demand around the globe. Thanks to Margot Fraser, shoes that are good for our health and wellbeing have a place in many people’s closets.