The Unlikely Return of Birkenstock
thecut.com
thecut.com
They’ve been going in and out of style about every twenty years since the Sixties, like many things fashion. Like a faithful Apple user that’s been clinging to Macs through thick and thin since 1985, I can’t tell you how many pair I’ve had since the early 80s.
Just like every talk show host and interviewer is paying their guests to talk about some aside (which you can go out and buy right now!) involving something besides the guest’s direct project. Which is why nearly every interview out there is rehearsed. Not only is the guest promoting their latest movie, but oh look! They have some whimsical meandering tale about that time they were at the store and bought those amazing chocolate chips for some cookeis they baked! Wow!
But it’s not advertising. No one needs to clearly define that no less than 3 segments of their 90 minute podcast interview were staged anecdotes. Or that 40 minute sirius XM broadcast required three mentions of which bottled water they happened to be sipping. It’s just totally natural stuff.
It’s no coincidence that there seem to be these prevailing solar winds that gust in 30 day intervals. The news isn’t exactly the news. And this is a shining example.
that's interesting. where I live, most health professionals wear crocs. they're quite comfortable, light, and super easy to wash since you can just plop them in a sink.
Psychology students seem to get attached to the birkenstocks and keep carrying them throughout their careers.
Also, Birkenstock soak up blood rather well. Would not recommend in such cases.
With regards to Crocs and washability: Birkenstock seem to have introduced some moodels made from PU as well. Like OP, I'm more familiar with the white leather ones on health workers.
like if you were the one kid wearing "Payless Shoes" instead of the latest of the trendy "Nike" brand
but apparently Birkenstock are back in fashion, in Germany, amongst the younger generation
In summary, I guess I’m not the person to ask.
Not in the context of the TFA's title, which is about an "unlikely return".
Going in and out of style describes a totally likely (and even expected) return.
My conversion followed from the thought of having sock-less shoes, mainly from the cathartic feeling of removing them after a long day. A cousin recommended me to get a pair of Allbirds; initially, I liked the material of the shoe but it still didn't feel "breathable" (especially on a hot day in summer) and the wool began to rub my feet in a wrong way. This is in addition to the issue of build quality: the glue at the head of the shoe was visible, and also began to deteriorate; I've also had a friend whose Allbirds ripped during a session of basketball -- it lasted only a couple of months.
I'm not sure about how other people feel about this, but if a shoe or a sandal costs over $100, it should last at least for a year or two; I sincerely doubt that the difference between retail price and manufacturing cost is small enough to not cover a replacement 3 times over.
My issues with Allbirds stirred me to find a long-lasting, breathable pair of footwear. I don't remember if it was seeing people on campus wear sandals, or hearing about the longevity about Birkenstocks on reddit that drove me to buying a cheap, "test" pair.
After test-driving a foam version, I decided to invest the mid-tier Arizona sandal (which I'm still wearing today).
Back to the main question, is the "return" of Birkenstocks unlikely. I don't think so: the culture of the company seems to fit well with the demographics of millennials, who aren't afraid to splurge on items with great story / quality behind it.
And anecdotally, the first time I wore them outside, my friends jestingly compared my sense of fashion to a "white, sorority girl" (which I take to be an implication of their popular amongst college students).
I've always worn Vans skate shoes (yes, even before they were "cool", believe it or not) and a pair typically lasts 2-3 years. That's wearing them all day every day.
I also love them because they aren’t huge and bulky like Reef brand and others. They actually look somewhat “classy” as far as sandals go.
I fully cede I may just be trying to explain why it is that my shoes don't last for more than a couple of seasons. (Excepting, of course, my biking shoes, which have some obvious reasons for lasting longer...)
I have some Adidas turf shoes with probably upwards of three thousand soccer/ultimate games played in them that are still going. (Though one of the studs is threatening to rip off, so I've got a newer pair that I wear for out-of-town games and that I keep in my car as backup.)
When failure methods are fabric tearing, glue or stitches coming apart, excess localized wear, etc. I blame poor design.
That said, now that I bike every day to work, my biking shoes get worn pretty much every morning and last for some obvious reasons. This leaves my day to day shoe much less stress than what they used to get, such that my crappy shoes that I only wear in the office have lasted a few seasons at this point.
But I have come to view the idea of a shoe that can last years as a myth that just isn't worth chasing. Back when I walked upwards of 5 miles a day at a minimum, I was happy to get 2 season's wear of my shoes. And that was splurging for some rather expensive shoes.
But, cobbler’s where repairing shoes for farmers working in often wet conditions. Even craftsman used to walk far longer distances regularly putting a lot more mechanical strain on foot ware. Together that’s a tough environment for most organic materials so leather/cloth/wood would generally not last that long.
PS: Ultra Marathoners can go through a pair of shoes in days that would last most people months. Which shows the difference between how far people can move and how far they actually do. Averaging 10+ miles a day on foot when that’s what most people had was likely the norm.
But you're supposed to wear Birkenstocks with socks!
These days I've replaced them with a pair of Chacos which are just as comfortable and I can throw them in the washing machine if they get too dirty.
I bought my first pair of Birkenstocks in March and this is basically the issue I'm running into; with everyday wear, rain or shine, they get very funky very quickly and cleaning them is tedious and time-consuming.
The heel wore away quickly too and now the cork is rapidly disintegrating... I'm not too eager to buy another pair.
There's a lot of other wear, especially under the balls of my feet, but the heel is the most noticeable bit.
Doc Martens used to be made by a factory in the UK, and the company dropped them. Solovair still operates the old UK factory, using the same employees and the same machines and the same techniques (such as the Goodyear welt stitching technique), since it was theirs to begin with.
Literally, those classic Doc Martens were just a Solovair sole combined with a Greggs upper (the company that owned the Doc Marten brand), stitched together at the Solovair factory.
What Greggs really provided was patents owned by an actual guy named Doctor Marten, who tried to make more ergonomic boots; all of those patents involved the soles, of which the technology was licensed to Solovair and is now part of their product line as the patents have long since expired; even though it was a Greggs upper, there wasn't anything magic about the upper in a Doc Marten, it was all in the sole.
It isn't often HN and /r/BuyItForLife/ intersect.
I’ve got more boots than Imelda Marcos had shoes
Vibrant soles matched to Meindl boot uppers for example.
Interesting story about Doc Martens.
I kept wearing my Adidas Adilette for years until they finally broke apart. It was a sad day. I was looking for a replacement but my wife convinced me of trying out Birkenstock being more healthy and all. She bought me a pair and they are the right size, but... oh dear... after a few seconds my feet really start to hurt like walking on fire!
I have a bit of a flat foot but otherwise no pain at all. Should i keep wearing them for health's sake? Will my feet eventually adapt to them and stop hurting?
I miss my Adilettes...
Also experienced this (also flat footed) but the pain passed after a couple of days - stick it out.
The great thing about Birkenstocks are the versatility. Good for walking long distances in the city; light hiking in the countryside or getting your feet wet at the beach.
The most comfortable shoes I've ever owned.
https://www.zappos.com/p/birkenstock-memphis-dark-brown-leat...
I'm more curious about the efforts to revive/remarket Champion and Fila as the streetwear brands they are today.
And people will run ultras in/on anything. I would not be shocked to find out someone ran Western States 100 (miles) in a pair of Birkies.