Who is Birkenstock

The success of BIRKENSTOCK is rooted in its commitment to the art of making orthopedically inspired shoes. Over the centuries, it has built up a wealth of unparalleled experience that it has passed down from one generation to the next, with each generation cultivating and further expanding this knowledge.

THE BIRTH OF A LEGEND

1774. Johann Adam Birkenstock is listed in the church archives of Langen-Bergheim, a city in the German state of Hesse, as a "subject and cobbler".

THE FOOTBED TAKES ITS FIRST STEPS

1896. Master cobbler Konrad Birkenstock, who runs two specialty shoe stores in Frankfurt, begins manufacturing and selling flexible footbed insoles.

AN ICON IS BORN

1963. Carl Birkenstock launches the Madrid model, the first fitness sandal with a deep and flexible footbed, thereby laying the foundation for today’s comfort footwear market.

ENVIROMENTALY FRIENDLY ADHESIVES

1988. Environmentally friendly adhesives are used in the production process for the first time. The move reflects BIRKENSTOCK’s environmental awareness and sets an example worldwide. Christian Birkenstock, Karl Birkenstock’s youngest son, starts working for the family business.