
The Birkenstock Journal
Stories of comfort, craft, and the community that walks with us.
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Learn more about our values and meet the BIRKENSTOCK community

Function
Rooted in more than a century of orthopedic expertise
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Quality
Functional footwear made without compromise
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Heritage
The things that make us who we are
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Birkenstories
Explore a global community of BIRKENSTOCK lovers
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How to Break In Your Sandals · Comfort Journal 6b8980A simple break-in routine so your cork footbed molds comfortably to your feet. Explore more at Birken New VIP.
Footbed · Comfort Journal d3e701The Original BIRKENSTOCK Footbed is an ergonomic masterpiece, designed to replicate the mindful experience of walking barefoot. Explore more …
Walking · Comfort Journal 661872For thousands of years, we moved barefoot on uneven, yielding ground. Explore more at Birken New VIP.
Children`s feet · Comfort Journal 8ce3acBabies have the prettiest feet. Explore more at Birken New VIP.
Quality
From cork to sandal · Comfort Journal b84190BIRKENSTOCK products have been influenced over generations by a tireless creative quest for Naturgewolltes Gehen (walking as nature …
50 Hands · Comfort Journal a0b4f8Over the years, we’ve finessed the method, the materials and the models – not to mention expanded the team – but one key detail remains the …
Heritage
Heritage · Comfort Journal 8cff4fThe roots of the shoemaking dynasty can be found in 1774 when Johannes Birkenstock is mentioned in a church archive document at a time when …
People
Lael Wilcox · Comfort Journal 521187Lael Wilcox is one of the world’s great endurance bike racers. Explore more at Birken New VIP.
Birkenstories
BIRKENSTORY #32: APOLLONIA POILÂNE · Comfort Journal 3a7c93A tragedy could have destroyed the future of Poilâne. But France’s best-known bakery still exists and is even flourishing – thanks to …
BIRKENSTORY #31: MINDY GABRIEL · Comfort Journal d1fd29Melinda \Mindy\ Gabriel has been the fire department chief of Westerville near Columbus, Ohio since 2019. Before that, she was on the front …
BIRKENSTORY #30: JENS UND UWE KRÜGER · Comfort Journal f20845Jens and Uwe are the “Kruger Brothers” – the bluegrass and new American folk music icons are known all around the world. The brothers have …
BIRKENSTORY #24: CHARLIE STRONG · Comfort Journal 4c6981Charlie Strong is a professional American football coach. His goal? To give young men a place in life. His formula? Honesty, respect, and …
BIRKENSTORY #23: ROBERT RUTFORD · Comfort Journal eaaca0Dr. Robert Rutford, one of the best-known Antarctic researchers and the man who Mount Rutford is named for, took his Birkenstocks to the …
BIRKENSTORY #22: THIERRY JOURNO · Comfort Journal ca8db4“I don’t like Birkenstocks. I hate them,” says the all-round designer Thierry Journo. When he stopped over in Paris, we learned in a highly …
BIRKENSTORY #21: RAMDANE TOUHAMI · Comfort Journal 74f5f9He was banned from school, was kicked out by his parents, and became homeless. Today, he is the owner of the global beauty empire Officine …
BIRKENSTORY #20: SHALENE MCCOLLUM · Comfort Journal fc8a75Like all the women in her family, Shalene McCollum has fishing in her blood – her grandma was a commercial fisherwoman, too. We visited the …
BIRKENSTORY #29: BETTINE VRIESEKOOP · Comfort Journal ed884aBettine Vriesekoop is a two-time European table tennis champion. These days, the Dutch Sports Personality of the Year (1981, 1985) and Dutch …
BIRKENSTORY #28: HERMANN GERLAND · Comfort Journal 087544He was an assistant coach to Jupp Heynckes, Louis van Gaal, Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti, and Hansi Flick, and became a legendary trainer …
BIRKENSTORY #27: NICHOLAS VREELAND · Comfort Journal cf2c02The story of Nicholas Vreeland, Buddhist monk and only Western head of a Buddhist monastery, starts in the early 1980s, when the diplomat’s …
BIRKENSTORY #26: ATHÉNAÏS DE BÉRU · Comfort Journal 91dfd1Athénaïs de Béru was once a banker, but in 2006 she took on her family’s 500-year-old wine-growing estate in the village of Béru in …
BIRKENSTORY #25: MAYA WASOWICZ · Comfort Journal 52525eIn the opinion of her coach, Maya Wasowicz is one of the ten best karate fighters in the world. When the Polish-born moved to New York at …
BIRKENSTORY #19: THOMAS SÜDHOF · Comfort Journal a774ea“I don’t think Nobel Prizes are always awarded fairly. I’m delighted to have it, but it doesn’t set me apart from everybody else – I was …
BIRKENSTORY #18: YAZEMEENAH ROSSI · Comfort Journal 88c352I discovered my first gray hair when I was about 12 – my granddaughter’s age,” relates Yazemeenah Rossi. Her hair was already almost …
BIRKENSTORY #17: GEOFF HIGGO · Comfort Journal fd3155After a few crazy business ventures, father of four Geoff Higgo now runs an unusual car hire company in Cape Town with his partner Monika. …
BIRKENSTORY #16: MARIAH NIELSON · Comfort Journal df5350Mariah Nielson’s father was the sculptor J. B. Blunk, a “master of the chainsaw.” She tells us about her father’s legacy – and how …
BIRKENSTORY #15: MATTO BARFUSS · Comfort Journal 143cd6Matto Barfuss, successful wildlife filmmaker, achieved fame in the 1990’s after spending months living among cheetahs. We caught up with …
BIRKENSTORY #14: ROMANY PAJDAK · Comfort Journal 767193Romany Pajdak decided she wanted to be a professional dancer at the age of ten. She is now one of the best ballerinas in the world. We met …
BIRKENSTORY #13: BERND BRINKMANN · Comfort Journal dc4e27„I’ve been wearing Birkenstocks for 45 years,” wrote Bernd Brinkmann. We met the man who has been a Birkenstock fan from the get-go – and a …
