Birkenstock

The company revolutionized comfort footwear through the development of contoured footbeds, first patented as "health footwear" by Konrad Birkenstock in 1909. The anatomically shaped design incorporates a deep heel cup, longitudinal and transverse arch support, and a raised toe bar to encourage natural foot movement. Birkenstock's signature materials include sustainably sourced cork from Portuguese and Spanish cork oak trees, natural latex from rubber trees, and jute fibers.

Johann Adam Birkenstock was listed as "subject and cobbler" in church archives of Langen-Bergheim, a small village in the German district of Hammersbach, marking the company's 1774 founding. The business passed through five generations of master shoemakers with several lines of the Birkenstock family working in the shoemaking trade.

Konrad Birkenstock (1873–1950) advanced the family business by opening an orthopaedic shoemaker's workshop in Frankfurt am Main in 1896 and founding Konrad Birkenstock GmbH the following year. He developed the first contoured insole for use by shoemakers in custom footwear production. His groundbreaking invention combined a three-dimensional last with an anatomically shaped insole, which he patented as "health footwear" with legally protected utility model numbers 266642, 267623, and 273690 from 1909.

Karl Birkenstock joined his father's company in 1954 and succeeded in making healthy footwear mass-produced by 1962 with the invention of a standardized, permanently installed, anatomically shaped insole. In 1963, he released the first "Original Birkenstock Footbed Sandal," an athletic sandal with flexible footbed later renamed "Madrid." The classic two-strap Arizona sandal was first manufactured in 1973.

Birkenstock entered the American market in 1966 when Margot Fraser brought the sandals from Germany to San Francisco to address her foot pain. Fraser established Birkenstock Footprint Sandals, Inc., initially selling through health food stores and establishing the brand's association with health-conscious consumers. The distribution company was renamed Birkenstock Distribution USA, Inc. (BDUSA) in 2005, and in 2007 the German owners purchased their long-standing distribution partner.

The company remained family-owned until 2012, when Karl Birkenstock's sons Stephan, Christian and Alex appointed the first CEO from outside the family. In 2013, Birkenstock became a corporation with an executive team not composed of family members for the first time in its 240-year history.

Birkenstock maintains headquarters in Neustadt, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, with the Görlitz facility serving as the largest production site worldwide. The Görlitz location employs approximately 1,000 workers and produces 80,000 pairs of footbeds daily using 2,700 kilograms of cork and 12,000 litres of latex. All footbeds are engineered and produced in Germany with final assembly conducted exclusively within the European Union.

The company sources raw materials predominantly from Europe in compliance with social, environmental, and quality standards. All materials undergo strict quality controls throughout the manufacturing process. Cork comes from production overages of wine and bottling industries in Portugal and Spain, repurposed as a sustainable material that regrows on cork oak trees after seven to ten years. Natural latex is obtained from rubber tree resin, providing flexible and supportive qualities to the footbed construction.

The anatomically shaped footbed consists of multiple layers designed to support natural foot function. The construction includes a shock-absorbent sole, followed by a layer of jute fibers, a firm cork-latex core, and another layer of jute, topped with a soft suede footbed lining. The deep heel cup cradles the heel bone while maintaining natural cushioning, and longitudinal arch support runs along the footbed sides for stability.

The transverse arch support extends through the middle of the footbed to ensure proper alignment and solid stance. A raised toe bar encourages natural gripping motion, exercises leg muscles, and stimulates circulation. The cork-latex blend responds to natural body warmth, allowing the footbed to conform to individual foot characteristics over time.

Birkenstock's current collection includes several signature models developed over decades. The Madrid represents the original single-strap design released in 1963 as the company's first athletic sandal. The Arizona, introduced in 1973, features the distinctive two-strap configuration that became the brand's most recognizable style. The Boston model offers a closed clog design, while the London provides additional coverage with a heel strap.

Each model incorporates the same fundamental footbed technology with variations in upper construction and materials. The company offers options in natural leather, suede, synthetic materials, and various color combinations across its product range.

Birkenstock conducted its initial public offering on October 11, 2023, on the New York Stock Exchange, pricing shares at $46 and raising approximately $1.48 billion with an $8.64 billion valuation. The market debut proved disappointing as shares declined over 12% on the first trading day to $40.20, ranking as the sixth worst IPO opening among billion-dollar offerings in the past decade.

The company demonstrated strong revenue growth leading to the public offering, with sales increasing from €542.6 million to €644.2 million in the six-month period ending March 31, 2023. Between fiscal 2020 and 2022, sales jumped from 728 million euros to 1.24 billion euros, with net income of 187 million euros and margins of approximately 60% in 2022.

Direct-to-consumer sales expanded from 18% of total sales in fiscal 2018 to 38% in fiscal 2022. Global e-commerce net sales reached approximately $682.6 million in 2024, with the United States accounting for 58.3% of birkenstock.com sales, making it the brand's largest e-commerce market.

Birkenstock maintains selective retail partnerships to preserve brand positioning while reaching diverse customer segments. Key partnerships include Nordstrom, which became the first department store to sell Birkenstock sandals in 1986, along with Barneys New York and J.Crew. The company distanced itself from platforms like Amazon while maintaining its relationship with QVC, the televised shopping network.

Recent expansion includes the introduction of direct distribution in South Korea with a country-specific e-commerce website launched in 2024, followed by plans for brand-owned stores and department store partnerships in spring 2025. In July 2024, Birkenstock opened its first retail store in the Marais district of Paris, marking continued European expansion.

Independent sustainability organizations have provided mixed assessments of Birkenstock's environmental practices. Good On You rates Birkenstock as "Not Good Enough," citing concerns about limited use of lower-impact materials, lack of evidence for biodiversity protection in the supply chain, and insufficient action to minimize textile waste. The Good Shopping Guide similarly rates Birkenstock as poorly performing in ethical footwear categories.

The company emphasizes its use of natural materials, traditional craftsmanship, and product durability as sustainability features. Cork sourcing from renewable cork oak harvests, natural latex from rubber trees, and jute fibers represent the foundation of the footbed construction. Birkenstock positions itself against throwaway fashion culture by promoting long-lasting products designed for repair and resoling.