Who are these people wearing Birkenstocks to the office?

Google “German tourist” and you’ll find a fashionista’s nightmare. Hundreds of photos of miserable-looking women and men in plaid shirts tucked into Bermuda shorts and wearing Birkenstocks. But now it’s hard to believe these unflattering images circulating on the internet when this popular two-strap leather sandal has become a trend. So much so that its notched sole now swarms corporate hallways. “When my mom asked me to change my shoes before going to the office one day, I realized that Birkenstocks aren’t for everyone,” 27-year-old Louise tells us. This communicator from Rennes has worn them “every summer for years”, both during the week and on weekends. “I am not interested in the cliché of a German tourist. I find them beautiful, comfortable, and at the risk of shocking more than one person, I even wear them with socks.” In the background, we hear 30-year-old Gwenael’s voice supporting her friend’s words. He also wears shoes to work.

“In a formal setting, it remains difficult,” says Alois Guinut, head of image consultancy agency Like a Paris Dress. “On the other hand, when summer comes and companies empty out, there are professions where employees go to keep an office. There is no customer contact during this time, so you can easily wear Birkenstocks. You still need to style them well. For the woman, we choose a white shirt tucked into a cotton poplin midi skirt. For men, we prefer linen trousers and a slightly oversized cotton shirt.”

From “ugly” to fashion

Around 8 million Birkenstocks are sold in Germany and 30 million worldwide each year, making the brand a benchmark for sandals. It can boast a turnover of 1.7 billion euros in 2024. Its success first took shape in 1897 when master shoemaker Konrad Birkenstock invented the first flexible orthopedic insole. His grandson, Karl Birkenstock, then revolutionized the sole in 1960 by adding a strap; the first Birkenstock was born. “Birkenstock mania dates back to the 1970s. At that time, Germany rediscovered the virtues of a healthy life thanks to the alternative and protest movements,” says an episode of the show Karambolage.Arte . Environmental awareness, organic food, the anti-nuclear movement, and Birkenstocks then spread across the country. Super comfortable and anti-chic, the shoe naturally finds its place in the everyday life of Germans…and accompanies them to the four corners of the world. A violation of good taste for many that will earn them this famous and dreaded image of the “German tourist”.

That is until the fashion world reconsidered and gave her a chance. In the 1990s, fashion designers Jean Paul Gaultier and Paco Rabanne paraded Birkenstocks on models’ feet. “Something completely out of date can become super popular,” even the infantile terror of fashion will say. In 2013, the highly regarded Phoebe Philo reinvented them, they became structured, minimalist, filled. And therefore extremely desirable. Eight years later, the LVMH group (Louis Vuitton, Dior, etc.) bought Birkenstock. Immediately, leather sandals became the shoes of all desires and collaborations.

“The Birk has evolved a lot,” Claire, 29, also an avid sandal advocate, tells us. “Today it is so fashionable that it attracts luxury. We remember the collaboration between Birkenstock and Dior in 2022.” The young woman often wears them, especially the leopard print she wore on the day of our interview. “From an aesthetic point of view, I consider it beautiful. I like the style and especially the comfort. They’re super practical and go with so many different outfits without giving up that campy look.” A return to strength that we also owe to the Covid era. Due to forced telecommuting, employees have traded in three-piece suits for more comfortable clothing. More than ever, dressing comfortably has become the norm and is making overly formal styles obsolete. Or sometimes combines the two, like the American influencer Emma Chamberlain, aka Lena Mahfouf from the United States, who during this period accepted these shoes without complications.

I can’t imagine Birkenstock being a senior executive in Boston. Simply because the great leaders share the codes of the modern world, not the codes of the postmodern world, i.e. the hobo.

Emilie Coutant, fashion sociologist

Cover this leg I can’t see

“In the office, the Birkenstock is a bit of a totem for innovation professionals. It was Mark Zuckerberg and other California CEOs who started this trend,” fashion sociologist Emily Coutant explains to us. Indeed, the archives clearly prove that Steve Jobs wore a pair of Birkenstocks when he began envisioning the Apple computer in a Los Altos garage in the 1970s. This same pair sold at auction in 2022 for $218,000. “Following the takeover by LVMH, the display of legs, which was a sign of social vulnerability, becomes a sign of economic power. The brand is even developing Boston, this Birkenstock clog, designed for those who don’t have beautiful feet,” the co-author of the book continues. Fashion Management and Marketing (2020).

In that case, why aren’t French businessmen still seen wearing Birkenstocks at work? For Claire, she first needs to do something that will “allow” her to wear this protest-rooted shoe. And maybe also… be a woman. “My friend is in optics, it’s a sales job. He has a pair that he only wears on weekends. The crazy thing is that even in Paris she doesn’t like to wear them. For him, this shoe is associated with the beach, the countryside, it remains too casual for work. The male rejection of the Birkenstock in the professional world, as Emily Coutant explains to us: Birkenstock has this stunning bare leg. Something reminiscent of the order of a savage, a protester, a wanderer. I can’t imagine Birkenstock being a senior executive in Boston. Simply because the great leaders share the codes of the modern world, not the codes of the postmodern world, i.e. the hobo. Therefore, pointing toes will definitely be a gendered issue. Therefore, for a man, the act will be like a feeling of weakness.

Or perhaps this rejection comes from France, a country sometimes accused, rightly or wrongly, of snobbery. “When I lived in England, I noticed a freedom of expression in English clothing that you don’t find in France,” says French fashion designer Stephen Passaro, who now lives in Paris. And he continues. “There you can be great in finance and dress however you want. A bank colleague went to the office in shorts, a t-shirt and boat shoes. It wasn’t a problem for anyone.” Especially since Steven Passaro, who launched his eponymous brand during Covid, is an expert in tailoring and therefore office dress codes. Just like Claire, the art director encourages wearing Birkenstocks with a suit to work, as long as you “roll up the shirt sleeves for a cooler look.” If this freedom of style expression in the office has not yet been fully accepted in France, we are slowly getting there. Proof that the Birkenstock isn’t done with its rise.