So Birkenstock Just Held a Runway Show in Paris

While footwear is undoubtedly a key component of pretty much every designer's runway show, it's rare that you hear of a brand whose primary focus is shoes putting on a runway show, and in Paris no less. But that's exactly what Birkenstock just did. The German "ugly shoe" trailblazer, which was founded in 1774, just put on its first-ever event in Paris at the Tuileries Gardens as part of Paris Menswear Fashion Week.
So what's the reason behind the brand's sudden decision to embark on such a high-profile endeavor? As Birkenstock CEO Olivier Reichert told Vogue, "We have been in the fashion industry for so many years already! Go around and ask every top photographer and stylist, they are all wearing Birkenstock…" So in other words, does he really need a reason?
Among the Birkenstock trends (yes, that's a thing) to come for S/S 18 are textured fabrics, muted metallics, embellishment, vibrant color, oversize buckles, and subtle logos are all represented. With that, read on to shop a few pairs of Birkenstocks we love, and see every look from the first-ever Birkenstock runway event in Paris.
A splurge, but Birkenstocks don't get chicer than this. (They also come in ultra-sleek black.)More sizes available here.
See the Birkenstock Runway Looks:
Next up, check out the 2017 way to wear Birkenstocks.
Allyson is a senior editor for Who What Wear. She joined the company in 2014 as co-founder Katherine Power's executive assistant and over the years has written hundreds of stories for Who What Wear. Prior to her career in fashion, Allyson worked in the entertainment industry at companies such as Sony Pictures Television. Allyson is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a BFA in theater arts. Her path to fashion may not have been linear, but based on the number of fashion magazines she collected as a child and young adult, it was meant to be.
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