
07.12.2022

Linz am Rhein (Rhineland-Palatinate)/New York City, December 7, 2022 – On November 28th, 2022, BIRKENSTOCK hosted a successful landmark brand activation event in New York City. Transforming the famous Cipriani 25 Broadway venue into a plant-laden indoor oasis, the team from the German-born footwear company greeted some 300 guests from around the world including media, celebrities, footwear and fashion industry professionals, longtime retail partners and many of the most loyal brand supporters. The evening celebration emphasized the innovation behind, and the natural materials within, BIRKENSTOCK products alongside its rich orthopedic history. This was achieved through educating and inspiring guests through a series of unique activations showcasing the creative spirit of the brand.
Many of the media members in attendance, heaped their praise on the experience, and its relation to the brand including Wallpaper Editor TF Chan. “The first one that comes to mind is ‘functionality’, and I’m sure it has been integral to the fact that BIRKENSTOCK has thrived across its 248 years history,” he says. With numerous editors from across the globe in attendance, the event caught the imagination of press leading to extensive reports featured in the likes of The New York Times and Harpers Bazaar Indonesia.
Entering the venue, attendees were serenaded by a talented cast of street performers before making their way into the main room to the “The Hourglass Exhibition” which journeyed into BIRKENSTOCK’s rich legacy as a purpose brand with strong orthopedic roots. “Seeing just how many people were interested in the history of the brand was a ‘wow’ moment for me,” says Dr. Andrea Schneider-Braunberger, BIRKENSTOCK’s historian and curator of the exhibition, which featured early models of sandals and a rich range of historical artefacts. “The crowds were fascinated on many levels, particularly interested by the fact that the company’s history is so huge - dating back 248 years. They also appreciated and were surprised by how early BIRKENSTOCK was developing unisex models of shoes, which showed this company’s forward-thinking nature.”
Other key attractions included the 1774 exhibition, which explored BIRKENSTOCK’s creative partnerships with schools like Central St Martins and major fashion names like Dior and Manolo Blahnik. Beyond this, huge wall projections highlighted some of the key materials that go into BIRKENSTOCK footwear. Elsewhere guests also got the opportunity to experience the innovative technology the co relies upon first-hand to manufacture its famous footwear.
“People loved the depth of information,” says Cansu Elman, Head of Innovation at BIRKENSTOCK, whose team was out in force to showcase 3D foot-modeling scanners. These high-tech machines allowed guests to gain the perfect measurements of their feet, which in turn allowed them to find the perfect fitting model of a BIRKENSTOCK BEND model shoe to enjoy. “In general, I think the event was a perfect reflection of the brand because it showed BIRKENSTOCK as it is - it was authentic and grounded. I liked the laidback atmosphere, where guests could walk in and have a drink while they explored our offering,” Elman adds.
Please click here to see more images from the event.
About BIRKENSTOCK
BIRKENSTOCK is a global brand which embraces all consumers regardless of age, social and educational background, ethnicity or gender and which is committed to a clear purpose - maintaining foot health. Deeply rooted in studies of the biomechanics of the human foot and footed on a family tradition of shoemaking that can be traced back to 1774, BIRKENSTOCK is a timeless "super brand" with a brand universe that transcends product categories and ranges from entry-level to luxury price points while addressing the growing need for a conscious and active lifestyle. Function, quality and tradition are the core values of the lifestyle brand which features products in the footwear, sleep systems and natural cosmetics segments. BIRKENSTOCK is the inventor of the footbed and has shaped the principle of walking as intended by nature (“naturgewolltes Gehen”).
With around 5,500 employees worldwide, the fast-growing family business in its sixth generation is one of the oldest still active companies with German roots and one of the largest employers of the industry. BIRKENSTOCK manufactures almost exclusively in its own production facilities, which goes hand in hand with a high level of transparency and control over its manufacturing conditions. BIRKENSTOCK products are sold in over 100 countries on all continents.
BIRKENSTOCK runs 16 operational sites in Germany, in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse, Bavaria, Saxony, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where a new plant is currently being built with investments of EUR 120 million. Headquartered in Linz am Rhein, the BIRKENSTOCK Group also operates its own sales offices in the United States and Canada as well as in Brazil, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Denmark, Poland, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, the United Kingdom, France, Norway, Dubai and India.
Since 2021, the company is majority owned by L Catterton, the world's largest growth investor focused on the consumer goods industry, and Financière Agache, a holding company controlled by Agache, the holding company of the Arnault family.
Birkenstock Group B.V. & Co. KG
Burg Ockenfels, Linz, Germany
You can find our online shop at www.birkenstock.com

Press contact
Jochen Gutzy
Chief Communications Officer
Birkenstock Group B.V. & Co. KG
Burg Ockenfels
53545 Linz
Postal address:
Sedanstraße 4
D-50668 Köln
E-mail:mediabirkenstockcom
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