Following on from a number of high-profile collabs with the likes of Stüssy , Dior and Rick Owens, the Birkenstock brand is having quite a moment, but its history can be traced all the way back to the 1700s. Having started as a typical shoemaking business, the base of Birkenstock’s iconic flexible footbed was developed 120 years after it was founded, but the sandals we know and love weren’t around until 1963.
The Boston Clog was introduced in 1979, and was developed because Birkenstock customers were looking for a style that would keep them comfortable all year round – hence the covered toe for added warmth. In the 1980s, the style became a bit of a counter-culture icon, and was a hit on US college campuses. The rise of the style right now is a slightly similar situation – only this time they’ve been championed by fashion insiders like Eva Chen, the Olsen twins and Kendall Jenner, and that was even before the designer brands jumped on board.