Birkenstock's declaration of love for Berlin: A setback for the capital
With its new "1774" collection, Germany's most popular shoe brand aims to capture the capital's lifestyle. How does this work?
There are a few design classics that are simply always on trend. These include the perfectly fitting jeans, the timeless trench coat, or even the Birkenstocks, a pair of slippers made in Linz am Rhein with their signature cork soles.
Launched by Adam Birkenstock in 1774, the slippers are no longer just popular with hippies and biology teachers, but are enjoying worldwide recognition, including among fashion lovers.
This is due in no small part to viral collaborations with some of the world's biggest brands, such as the Parisian haute couture house Dior . "Sex and the City" icon Carrie Bradshaw, famous for her chic shoe collection, also wore the flat slippers in the prequel "And Just Like That." There was already a collaboration with Manolo Blahnik himself: velvet models embellished with crystals. The company has also collaborated with other brands such as Valentino, Jil Sander, and Rick Owens.
Now Birkenstock is launching its "1774" collection, which references not only the brand's origins but also the lifestyle of the German capital. Will the shoes appeal to Berliners?
The Birkenstock collection is inspired by Berlin in the 1920sUnder the name "Becomes Berlin," the label is now releasing ten new styles inspired by Berlin's 1920s era, the Golden Twenties. Exciting nights, new artistic freedom, glitz, glamour, shorter skirts, the "new woman." Berlin flourished, danced, and lived; a dynamic, vibrant metropolis.
At the same time, however, the city was also marked by uncertainty: unemployment, the economic crisis, and the rise of the Nazi Party. Birkenstock sought to capture precisely these contrasts in the collection designed by the house's Parisian creative studio.
Translated into fashion, this is reflected in the delicate cutouts on the popular Bostons, closed clogs adorned with additional buckles. The matte, shiny buckles with their delicate notches are said to be inspired by the Art Nouveau style of the time—and the curved lines symbolize movement and change.
In addition to classics like the Boston clog and three-strap sandals, the shoe brand is also launching a kind of hybrid model: ballerina flats that are closed at the front but feature a central buckle. The color palette of the entire collection ranges from sober black—what else could you expect in Berlin?—to a slightly washed-out gray to a deep, slightly washed-out burgundy, the trendiest color of the fall.
“Birkenstock 1774” will be available from September 11, 2025, in selected Birkenstock stores and at www.birkenstock.com .
Berliner-zeitung
