Birkenstock
Encyclopedia
Birkenstock Orthopädie GmbH & Co. KG is a shoe manufacturer headquartered in Vettelschoß
, Germany
. The company sells Birkenstock, a German brand of sandal
s and other shoe
s notable for their contoured cork
and rubber
footbeds, which conform somewhat to the shape of their wearers' feet. Representative products include the two-strap sandal, the Arizona, and the Boston clog.
Since 1967, these shoes have been sold in the USA. American Margot Fraser "discovered" Birkenstock sandals while on a holiday in Germany. She gained relief from a foot condition, and founded a trading company called Birkenstock Footprint Sandals, Inc., in Novato, California
, based on her enthusiasm for the sandals. Renamed Birkenstock Distribution USA, Inc., in 2005, it remains the exclusive importer and distributor of Birkenstock name-brand products in the United States.
Since the 1980s, Birkenstock footwear has become popular among medical professionals (e.g., dentist
s, nurses) and others who work on their feet. In Germany, the sandals are most often used as house slipper
s, but in the United States they have become a part of everyday clothing from professionals to blue collar workers, even to the entertainment industry. Heidi Klum
designs footwear for Birkenstock and wears them as well.
When not used as work footwear, people usually wear Birkenstocks with casual clothing. Birkenstocks are most often worn without socks
.
In the United States, Birkenstocks were first popular among flower children, a group traditionally associated with American liberalism; in the early 1990s "Birks" enjoyed a surge of popularity among high school and college-aged Generation X
ers comparable to the current (2000s) popularity of flip-flops. During the 2004 U.S. presidential primary, some conservatives derided Howard Dean
's supporters as "Birkenstock liberals." Birkenstocks still continue to enjoy high popularity with teenagers and college-aged young adults.
Certain members of the Birkenstock family also market other brands of footwear, under license from the original Birkenstock company, featuring contoured footbeds. These brands include Betula, Tatami, Papillio, Birki's and Footprints. In 2007, Birkenstock Distribution USA, Inc., was acquired and formed into a new corporation named Birkenstock USA, LP.
featured a song on their 1994 album "Punk In Drublic" inspired by the footwear called "Jeff Wears Birkenstocks". The song includes the line "Jeff Don't Wear Regular Shoes". Tool
referenced Birkenstocks in their song "Rosetta Stoned". Birkenstocks are also mentioned in the Toad the Wet Sprocket
/Glen Phillips
song, "Easier", in the line, "I was 18, so were you. I was that Birkenstock, gee are Birkenstocks, I guess my head is filled with rocks" (the song implying that Birkenstocks are mainly worn by those who follow the environmentalist movement).k-rock dude". They are also mentioned in the Guttermouth
song "Campfire Girl #62" from the album Gusto in the line "On her feet
In the American TV show The Office, Dwight Schrute keeps a spare pair of Birkenstocks in his car for special occasions.
During a concert in L.A., the band Jane's Addiction
was playing the song "Ain't No Right", when Perry Farrell, the band's lead singer, was struck with a Birkenstock shoe. After the incident, the singer stopped and exclaimed: "It's that same asshole again, I thought it would never come to this, but the guy threw a Birkenstock, I mean this guy is a real moron, he doesn't even understand fashion."
Vettelschoß
Vettelschoß is a municipality in the district of Neuwied, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the collective municipality of Linz am Rhein...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The company sells Birkenstock, a German brand of sandal
Sandal (footwear)
Sandals are an open type of outdoor footwear, consisting of a sole held to the wearer's foot by straps passing over the instep and, sometimes, around the ankle...
s and other shoe
Shoe
A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot while doing various activities. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from culture to culture, with appearance originally being tied to function...
s notable for their contoured cork
Cork (material)
Cork is an impermeable, buoyant material, a prime-subset of bark tissue that is harvested for commercial use primarily from Quercus suber , which is endemic to southwest Europe and northwest Africa...
and rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
footbeds, which conform somewhat to the shape of their wearers' feet. Representative products include the two-strap sandal, the Arizona, and the Boston clog.
History
The Birkenstock brand traces its roots to a German by the name of Johann Adam Birkenstock. Birkenstock was registered in 1774 as a "subject and shoemaker" in local church archives. In 1897 it was Johann's grandson, Konrad Birkenstock, who developed the first contoured insole to be used by shoemakers in the production of custom footwear. 1902 saw another first in shoemaking by Konrad when he developed the first flexible arch support to be inserted in factory-made shoes. In 1964, these inserts were developed further into a shoe by Karl Birkenstock, and what would become the Birkenstock sandal was created.Since 1967, these shoes have been sold in the USA. American Margot Fraser "discovered" Birkenstock sandals while on a holiday in Germany. She gained relief from a foot condition, and founded a trading company called Birkenstock Footprint Sandals, Inc., in Novato, California
Novato, California
Novato is a city located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, in northern Marin County. Novato is located about north-northwest of San Rafael, at an elevation of 30 feet above sea level . The 2010 U.S. Census estimated the city population to be about 51,904. Novato is about ...
, based on her enthusiasm for the sandals. Renamed Birkenstock Distribution USA, Inc., in 2005, it remains the exclusive importer and distributor of Birkenstock name-brand products in the United States.
Since the 1980s, Birkenstock footwear has become popular among medical professionals (e.g., dentist
Dentist
A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
s, nurses) and others who work on their feet. In Germany, the sandals are most often used as house slipper
Slipper
A slipper or houseshoe is a semi-closed type of indoor/outdoor shoe, consisting of a sole held to the wearer's foot by a strap running over the toes or instep. Slippers are soft and lightweight compared to other types of footwear. They are mostly made of soft or comforting materials that allow a...
s, but in the United States they have become a part of everyday clothing from professionals to blue collar workers, even to the entertainment industry. Heidi Klum
Heidi Klum
Heidi Samuel , better known by her birth name Heidi Klum, is a German model, actress, television host, businesswoman, fashion designer, television producer, and occasional singer. In 2008 she became an American citizen while maintaining her native German citizenship...
designs footwear for Birkenstock and wears them as well.
When not used as work footwear, people usually wear Birkenstocks with casual clothing. Birkenstocks are most often worn without socks
SOCKS
SOCKS is an Internet protocol that routes network packets between a client and server through a proxy server. SOCKS5 additionally provides authentication so only authorized users may access a server...
.
In the United States, Birkenstocks were first popular among flower children, a group traditionally associated with American liberalism; in the early 1990s "Birks" enjoyed a surge of popularity among high school and college-aged Generation X
Generation X
Generation X, commonly abbreviated to Gen X, is the generation born after the Western post–World War II baby boom ended. While there is no universally agreed upon time frame, the term generally includes people born from the early 1960's through the early 1980's, usually no later than 1981 or...
ers comparable to the current (2000s) popularity of flip-flops. During the 2004 U.S. presidential primary, some conservatives derided Howard Dean
Howard Dean
Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S...
's supporters as "Birkenstock liberals." Birkenstocks still continue to enjoy high popularity with teenagers and college-aged young adults.
Certain members of the Birkenstock family also market other brands of footwear, under license from the original Birkenstock company, featuring contoured footbeds. These brands include Betula, Tatami, Papillio, Birki's and Footprints. In 2007, Birkenstock Distribution USA, Inc., was acquired and formed into a new corporation named Birkenstock USA, LP.
Trivia
Punk rock band NOFXNOFX
NOFX is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California .The band was formed in 1983 by vocalist/bassist Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin. Drummer Erik Sandin joined NOFX shortly after. In 1991 El Hefe joined to play lead guitar and trumpet, rounding out the current line-up...
featured a song on their 1994 album "Punk In Drublic" inspired by the footwear called "Jeff Wears Birkenstocks". The song includes the line "Jeff Don't Wear Regular Shoes". Tool
Tool (band)
Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
referenced Birkenstocks in their song "Rosetta Stoned". Birkenstocks are also mentioned in the Toad the Wet Sprocket
Toad the Wet Sprocket
Toad the Wet Sprocket is an American alternative rock band formed in 1986. The band consists of singer/guitarist Glen Phillips, guitarist Todd Nichols, bassist Dean Dinning, and drummer Randy Guss. The band enjoyed chart success in the 1990s with the singles "Walk on the Ocean," "All I Want,"...
/Glen Phillips
Glen Phillips
Glen Phillips is a songwriter, lyricist, singer and guitarist. He is best known as the singer and songwriter of 1990s alternative rock group Toad the Wet Sprocket.-Personal life:...
song, "Easier", in the line, "I was 18, so were you. I was that Birkenstock, gee are Birkenstocks, I guess my head is filled with rocks" (the song implying that Birkenstocks are mainly worn by those who follow the environmentalist movement).k-rock dude". They are also mentioned in the Guttermouth
Guttermouth
Guttermouth is an American punk rock band formed in 1988 in Huntington Beach, California and currently recording for Hopeless Records. They have released nine full-length studio albums and two live albums and have toured extensively, including performances on the Vans Warped Tour...
song "Campfire Girl #62" from the album Gusto in the line "On her feet
In the American TV show The Office, Dwight Schrute keeps a spare pair of Birkenstocks in his car for special occasions.
During a concert in L.A., the band Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band's original line-up featured Perry Farrell , Dave Navarro , Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins . After breaking up in 1991, Jane's Addiction briefly reunited in 1997 and again in 2001, both times...
was playing the song "Ain't No Right", when Perry Farrell, the band's lead singer, was struck with a Birkenstock shoe. After the incident, the singer stopped and exclaimed: "It's that same asshole again, I thought it would never come to this, but the guy threw a Birkenstock, I mean this guy is a real moron, he doesn't even understand fashion."