Birkenstock
Birkenstock is a German footwear company founded in 1774 by Johann Adam Birkenstock, a shoemaker from a small Hessian village. The family kept at it for generations until Konrad Birkenstock developed the first contoured cork footbed in 1896, an innovation that would come to define the brand and, eventually, an entire category of footwear. The sandals arrived in America in the 1960s and landed squarely in the counterculture. Hippies and health food shop workers alike, the Arizona two-strap became ubiquitous. The Boston clog wasn't far behind The footbeds are moulded to mirror the contours of a healthy foot, designed to support rather than constrict. The leather is sourced from European tanneries and the production remains largely in Germany.Read more
