Birkenstock turns 250 and is celebrating its 250th anniversary at its iconic Shoreditch studio. Covering the history of the historic brand, FAD magazine was invited to the opening night and its packed gallery floor. With BBC Radio 1’s Charlie Tee providing the soundtrack, a charitable smoking area, and a plethora of upmarket footwear content to explore, the show offered a generous insight into how a historic brand can grow and evolve.
It’s hard to imagine that Birkenstock is quite so old at a first glance. Whilst certainly established, its domination of the pop-culture landscape has made the brand an irrevocably relevant household name. In fact, there’s a good chance that most younger generations encountered the brand first through its many tongue-in-cheek references in popular films – think Barbie and ‘human Birkenstocks’ for those in the know. But how did this happen?
The Shoreditch retrospective offers a tantalising archive to help piece this together. Starting with a small library of design books, working through the blown-up photographs of a few iconic pieces, including the largest pair of toes I’ve seen hanging on a gallery wall in a while, and some playful insole-based decor, the show touches on myriad aspects of the brand’s history. Though certainly overwhelming for a sandal enthusiast, the show is held together by an underlying focus on the upcoming ‘Book of Birkenstock’ and photo book set ‘Old Mills Never Die’, which hope to promise even more juicy details.
At a glance, there’s far too much to know, too many stories to explore and avenues to go down. Over 250 years, the multitude of designers, brand executives, and pieces themselves should make it challenging to distil any distinct statement. Perhaps the human brain simply wasn’t designed to process that much footwear information. However, so far as the show itself is concerned, an atmosphere begins to come together.
Between the cultural references, the care of the designers, the array of materials, the music, the small tobacco cumulus cloud forming outside the entrance, and the makeshift and eclectic bar hidden the back of the gallery, it’s impossible to deny a sense of humanity in Birkenstock’s branding.
Certainly, there could be more transparency in their animal welfare policy and future efforts toward sustainability, but Birkenstock remains a surprisingly humanistic brand for a fashion giant: all its shoes are still manufactured in Germany, and its recent human rights record for employees appears squeaky clean.
Amongst a landscape dominated by impersonal and impenetrable clothing megabrands, Birkenstock stands out for its sense of humour, its playfulness, and the transparency of its design process. The retrospective at its Shoreditch studio is no different. Whether it’s the sound of gossip in the smoking area, the clinking of glasses, or Charlie Tee’s soundtrack, Birkenstock certainly knows how to put on a show and make its fans feel at home.
No wonder it’s turning 250.
BIRKENSTOCK 250 5th – 8th September 2024, BIRKENSTOCK Studio
