Birkenstock Holding plc is a German shoe manufacturer known for its sandals and other shoes notable for contoured cork footbeds (soles), made with layers of suede and jute, which conform to the shape of their wearers' feet. Founded in 1774 by Johann Adam Birkenstock and headquartered in Neustadt (Wied), Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, the company's original purpose was to create shoes that support and contour the foot, compared to the flat soles of many shoes during that time. In 1896, the Fussbett (footbed) was designed, and by 1925, Birkenstocks were sold all over Europe.
In 1966, Margot Fraser first brought Birkenstocks to America. In the United States, they were sold in health stores, thus becoming associated with hippies in the 1970s.
History
Early years
The history of the Birkenstock "shoemaking dynasty" can be traced back to the first documented mention of Johannes Birkenstock (1749–1812), registered on 25 March 1774, as a "vassal and shoemaker" in local church archives in the small Hessian village of Langen-Bergheim.Baptismal certificate of Johann Peter Ditzel's son dated March 25th 1774, in: Hessen-Nassau: Zentralarchiv der Evang. Kirche, Büdingen deanery, Eckartshausen parish, baptism register 1757–1799, marriage register 1757–1799, viewed online at www.archion.de [last access 6. 9. 2022], image 127. Since that time, there have been five generations of master shoemakers or part-time shoemakers, several lines of the Birkenstock family working in the shoemaking trade and finally three generations of shoe manufacturers.Kai Balasz-Bartesch/Andrea H. Schneider-Braunberger, The Shoemaker Family Birkenstock, in: Andrea Schneider-Braunberger (ed.), Birkenstock. The Evolution of a Universal Purpose and Zeitgeist Brand, (Prestel) Munich, London, New York 2024, , pp. 36–55. In 1774, Johannes Birkenstock had already trained as a shoemaker and settled in the small Hessian town of Langen-Bergheim; he became a master shoemaker shortly afterwards.Baptismal certificate of Johann Adam Birkenstock 1781, in: Hessen-Nassau: Central Archive of the Protestant Church, Büdingen Deanery, Eckartshausen Parish, Baptism Register 1757–1799, marriage register 1757–1799, viewed online at www.archion.de [last access 6. 9. 2022], picture 206. After his younger brother Johann Adam Birkenstock (born 1754) died in 1790, his son Johannes (1790–1866) grew up with his uncle Johannes and also became a master shoemaker.
His grandson, Konrad Birkenstock (1873–1950), left the Wetterau after also training as a shoemaker and opened an orthopaedic shoemaker's workshop in Frankfurt am Main in 1896 and founded Konrad Birkenstock GmbH a year later.Institute for City History, (Institut für Stadtgeschichte) Frankfurt am Main Konrad Birkenstock developed the first contoured insole for use by shoemakers in the production of custom footwear. His success in orthopaedic circles with his insoles and health shoes and the satisfaction of his customers did not lead to financial success. The inventor Konrad Birkenstock concentrated too much on the further development of his material mix in order to further develop healthy walking.Roman Köster, Misjudged Innovations: The Struggle for Foot Orthopedics, 1896–1945, in: Andrea H. Schneider-Braunberger (ed.), Birkenstock. The Evolution of a Universal Purpose and Zeitgeist Brand, (Prestel) Munich, London, New York 2024; , pp. 62–98. When he himself was called to the orthopaedic workshop of the Friedrichsheiner Klinik in Frankfurt am Main – and therefore did not have to do military service – he relocated his business activities. In 1915, Konrad Birkenstock acquired a house in Friedberg (Hesse), where the production of insoles now took place.City Archive Friedberg In 1925 Konrad Birkenstock acquired the Derfelt soap factory in Friedberg, Hesse, thereby expanding production.Axel Arbinger, Nobody walks on metal soles anymore. The history of the Birkenstock company – laying the foundations for a global reputation in the "Indian Quarter", in: Friedberg-Magazin (April 1995), in: City Archive Friedberg.
As a master orthopaedic shoemaker, Konrad Birkenstock invented a fully plastic last as early as 1897 and a fully plastic flexible insole in 1902. Shoes made on this last and with this insole were called "health footwear" by Konrad Birkenstock. With this invention, Konrad Birkenstock had followed the ideas of the shoe reform, which, in keeping with the times, rethought the human body. His flexible insoles, developed along the same lines for healing purposes, differed from the rigid insoles made of metal that were common at the time. In 1914, Konrad Birkenstock's insoles were recognized as orthopaedic remedies for the first time. He gave two of these insoles the name "footbed". In 1925, Konrad Birkenstock was able to register the "Fussbett" trademark.German Reich Patent Office, No. 343209, entry dated 11. 11. 1925. In the 1920s, Birkenstock insoles were already being supplied to Austria, France, Denmark, Czechoslovakia, Italy, Luxembourg, Belgium, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland.
Konrad Birkenstock had three sons and one daughter. Over the course of time, they all became involved in the manufacture of orthopaedic insoles, in different companies and in different family constellations. His eldest son Carl (born in 1900) followed in Konrad Birkenstock's footsteps during the First World War. He visited specialist shoe stores and shoemakers and explained to them the use and effect of the "Birkenstock system", as the combination of a fully plastic last and flexible footbed was soon called. Carl continued to develop his father's deposits, was active with his own business in Vienna from 1923 to 1926 and founded Geb. Birkenstock GmbH in Steinhude am Meer together with his brothers Heinrich and Konrad Jr. in 1929.Niedersächsisches Landesarchiv, Abt. Bückeburg [henceforth NLA BU], Gewerbekartei, L 121b, Acc 2001, 025, no. 197. Acc 2001, 025, no. 197. From 1939, Carl Birkenstock continued to run the company, which at that time had 13 employees, alone without his brothers. Carl Birkenstock took the idea of foot health even further than his father and limited sales of his insoles to specialist retailers and shoemakers who had successfully completed his training course. Although he managed to get over 6,000 people to attend this course, this approach still limited his sales options in the long term. However, it was important to him that his flexible insoles were fitted correctly in order to achieve the effect of a foot-health-preserving insole. He wanted to avoid incorrect use at all costs.
Carl Birkenstock joined the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in 1940. Carl continued to sell insoles at least until 1943,CA Birkenstock, BS 10, turnover Carl Birkenstock Steinhude. the year he unsuccessfully tried to enlist in the Sturmabteilung. Birkenstock attempted to gain government contracts in the early '30s, pitching his products to Hitler Youth, testing his insoles on SS members, and selling to individual soldiers. Six of the owners of Gebr. Birkenstock GmbH in Steinhude im Meer were drafted into the Wehrmacht. However, despite these ties, Birkenstock had no supply contracts between Birkenstock and the Wehrmacht, the Nazi Party or its organizations, or links to the Schuhprüfstrecke of the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, nor is there any record of the firm or company "Aryanizing" Jewish property.CA Birkenstock, BS 54, Statement by Carl Birkenstock to my old followers in Presence of the trade union leader Mr. Otto Jahr, 2. 5. 1946.Jörg Lesczenski, On the Path to “Walking as Intended by Nature”: From the Footbed to a Shoe, in: Andrea H. Schneider-Braunberger (ed.), Birkenstock. The Evolution of a Universal Purpose and Zeitgeist Brand, (Prestel) Munich, London, New York 2024, , pp. 120–168.
After World War II (1939–1945), the Birkenstock sandal was popular among returning soldiers because of the orthopaedic support. After 1945, Carl Birkenstock continued to pursue his idea of his handmade healthy footwear at his new headquarters in Bad Honnef near Bonn. He wanted to make this "ideal shoe" suitable for mass production, which he tried to realize together with shoe manufacturers until 1961, when he abandoned this idea and retired to writing books on foot health. During this time, the still very small company earned money through the successful sale of the "Blue Footbed" orthopaedic insole. In 1954, Carl's only son, Karl, joined his father's company. While his grandfather Konrad and father Carl Birkenstock worked all their lives on producing orthopaedic insoles that were as individualized as possible for the wearer, the young Karl Birkenstock succeeded in making healthy footwear mass-produced in 1962 with the invention of a standardized, permanently installed, anatomically shaped insole.Andrea H. Schneider-Braunberger, The System Birkenstock: The Footprint for Walking as Nature Intended, in: Andrea H. Schneider-Braunberger (ed.), Birkenstock. The Evolution of a Universal Purpose and Zeitgeist Brand, (Prestel) Munich, London, New York 2024, , pp. 104–118.
In 1963, Karl Birkenstock released his first model, the "Original Birkenstock Footbed Sandal", an athletic sandal with a flexible footbed, which has been called "Madrid" since 1979, laying the foundation for the company's expansion since the 1970s. The shoe was constructed so that the wearer would have to grip their toes to keep the sandals on; this resulted in toning the calf muscle, which became quite useful to athletes, especially among gymnasts. However, the market launch in 1963 was a disaster. No shoe retailer wanted to offer the gender-neutral sandal, which was diametrically opposed to the shoe fashion trend of the time – Italian stilletos – and consequently, orders failed to materialize. The first sales were made through direct marketing in the medical sector. Birkenstock Orthopädie GmbH, as the company was now called, was run jointly by Karl and his wife Gisela.Alexander von den Benken, From Family Business to Global Corporation, in: Andrea H. Schneider-Braunberger (ed.), Birkenstock. The Evolution of a Universal Purpose and Zeitgeist Brand, (Prestel) Munich, London, New York 2024, , p. 175. The number of employees in 1970 was 57.
Margot Fraser and introduction to U.S.
In 1966, Margot Fraser, a German-American dressmaker who resided in Santa Cruz, California, decided to visit a spa in Bavaria, where she was recommended Madrids to help with a foot ailment caused by tight shoes. Due to Fraser's relief from her foot condition and her enthusiasm for the sandals, Birkenstocks were introduced in the United States—though some hurdles stood in the way of their eventual acceptance by American buyers. Many shoe stores rejected the sandals due to their appearance, leading Fraser to health stores near the granola section. The 1970s brought a spike in sales.