Skip navigation
Our Brand

Quality &
function

It’s good if it feels good.

01

One of the most important reasons why our customers are so happy with BIRKENSTOCK products are our carefully selected materials. Whether it’s comfortable felt, soft leather or cushioned cork: We place great value in the highest quality, both when selecting our materials and when crafting our products. That’s why we’re always on the lookout for the most sustainable sources and the latest materials with the best BIRKENSTOCK qualities.

Leather, fabric and Birko-Flor®.

02

No matter how you twist and turn it – as a shoe material, leather is unparalleled. It provides all of the natural qualities that anyone who wants to wear good shoes could ask for: it is breathable, absorbent and pleasantly soft, adapting to the shape of the wearer’s foot. At BIRKENSTOCK, we use the highest-quality leather, which – thanks to the gentle production process – retains its positive natural properties. We also work with textile materials, such as high-quality wool felt made from pure merino wool. It keeps feet nice and warm yet dry. For those customers looking for animal-free products, there is our proprietary synthetic material Birko-Flor®. Made of the best materials, it stands our for its high quality: gentle on the skin, tear-proof and easy to care for.

Fake category für Qualität und Funktion "Slider"

Select natural materials.

03

Every BIRKENSTOCK footbed is made of natural cork, natural latex, jute and suede, which is used as the top layer. These are all high-quality and renewable natural materials that come from sustainable sources. They are joined together in an elaborate production process. Thanks to the gentle production process, the materials retain their positive natural qualities.

SUEDE

Suede is created from buffing and finishing the flesh part of the leather after is split. This material is used to make the top layer of our footbed, which comes into contact with the foot. The flexible lining, which is gentle on the skin, nestles up softly against your foot and adjusts to its contour. The surface is open-pored, so it is especially breathable. It makes for a comfortable foot climate, even during more strenuous physical activity. Moisture is controlled in part by the underlying layer of jute.

JUTE

The material provides the original BIRKENSTOCK footbed with a more stable cork and latex core. In addition, the plant fibers increases the moisture-regulating properties of the footbed.

NATURAL LATEX

Natural latex serves as a natural binding agent in the production of the footbed. We also blend the liquid, which is also called “rubber milk”, with a mixture of soft and coarse cork granules. Then, we bake the dough-like mass with two layers of jute and the top layer of suede at 100° C for several minutes. The substance is hardened through vulcanization. It retains the positive properties of the natural material.

NATURAL CORK

The most important material for our footbed in terms of volume is natural cork. This substance comes from punching scrap left over from the production of wine corks. The punching scrap is ground several times and sieved to grain size. We only use high-quality pure and expensive natural cork. Because of its extraordinary properties cork is very popular as a universal raw material. Cork is elastic, has excellent cushioning and provides good insulation against heat, cold and moisture All of these properties can be found in the BIRKENSTOCK footbed.

SOFT FOOTBED

For sensitive feet, BIRKENSTOCK offers some models with an integrated soft footbed. This means that the sole has been padded with a foamed insert mainly made of natural rubber. Millions of tiny air bubbles help provide an especially comfortable experience. The soft footbed can also be recognized by its blue stamp color.

NATURAL CORK

The most important material for our footbed in terms of volume is natural cork. This substance comes from punching scrap left over from the production of wine corks. The punching scrap is ground several times and sieved to grain size. We only use high-quality pure and expensive natural cork. Because of its extraordinary properties cork is very popular as a universal raw material. Cork is elastic, has excellent cushioning and provides good insulation against heat, cold and moisture All of these properties can be found in the BIRKENSTOCK footbed.

JUTE

The material provides the original BIRKENSTOCK footbed with a more stable cork and latex core.

NATURAL LATEX

Natural latex serves as a natural binding agent in the production of the footbed. We also blend the liquid, which is also called “rubber milk”, with a mixture of soft and coarse cork granules. Then, we bake the dough-like mass with two layers of jute and the top layer of suede at 100° C for several minutes. The substance is hardened through vulcanization. It retains the positive properties of the natural material.

SUEDE

Suede is created from buffing and finishing the flesh part of the leather after is split. This material is used to make the top layer of our footbed, which comes into contact with the foot. The flexible lining, which is gentle on the skin, nestles up softly against your foot and adjusts to its contour. The surface is open-pored, so it is especially breathable. It makes for a comfortable foot climate, even during more strenuous physical activity. Moisture is controlled in part by the underlying layer of jute.