The award was received by BIRKENSTOCK Global CEO, Markus Bensberg, and BIRKENSTOCK Americas CEO, David Kahan, in a ceremony on Nov 28, 2017 in New York City.

“We are honored and incredibly grateful to be recognized by Footwear News. 2017 was an important year for BIRKENSTOCK in terms of brand-building and growth, especially in the U.S. with the BOX in partnership with Barneys New York, and our First Pop-Up store location. We continue this path of growth for the coming year with a global marketing initiative and new store openings worldwide,” said BIRKENSTOCK Global CEO, Markus Bensberg.

BIRKENSTOCK debuted its Spring/Summer 2018 collection at the Tuileries Gardens as part of Paris Men’s Fashion Week, attended by key industry figures, VIP’s and influencers in June 2017. The presentation captured the resurgence of the brand while remaining true to its unique heritage.

BIRKENSTOCK then launched a mobile retail concept, the BOX, as well as the brand amplified its global presence through selective collaborations. The global tour of the mobile retail concept, the BIRKENSTOCK BOX kicked off in Berlin in July 2017 at Andreas Murkudis. Renowned architects Pierre Jorge Gonzalez and Judith Haase transformed a freight container into a retail space, which travels to select specialty stores worldwide.

BIRKENSTOCK also launched its first true global brand advertising in 2017 with a still-life product-focused campaign shot by world-renowned photographer, Dan Tobin Smith.

“2017 was a tremendous year for Birkenstock here in the U.S and around the globe. We have enjoyed five straight years of tremendous growth and it is just the foundation. We will continue to aggressively manage our distribution while we expand our product range in the seasons ahead. We are thrilled and humbled to be named Brand of the Year again and we sincerely thank the industry for the recognition,” added BIRKENSTOCK Americas CEO, David Kahan.

Also in 2017, BIRKENSTOCK launched its sleeping systems and bed collection at Salone del Mobile with an installation at Galleria Rossana Orlandi in Milan. Further, BIRKENSTOCK invested in the development of a fully-sustainable range of skin care, BIRKENSTOCK Natural Care, which was introduced to select worldwide retailers at Cosmoprof trade fair in Bologna and will see its global launch in early 2018.

BIRKENSTOCK retail presence continues to grow:

The brand manages a total of 43 freestanding stores worldwide, including a new store in Covent Garden, London opened on November 16, 2017.

In the US, the brand opened its first US retail location with a Pop-up at 94 Gansevoort Street, directly across from the Whitney Museum of American Art. The store remains open through December 24, 2017.