There is a new attraction on the popular Calle Fuencarral in Madrid’s hip Chueca area. In mid September, BIRKENSTOCK opened its first brand store in Spain, situated at the heart of the country’s capital – a city that is home to more than three million people. In an area measuring 54 square meters, Germany’s largest footwear manufacturer is showcasing a wide range comprising more than 220 models. Alongside timeless sandal classics, fans of the brand will also find sneakers, closed-toe shoes and kids’ shoes, not to mention socks and bags. The store opening was celebrated with lounge music and finger food. Journalists, stylists, fashion photographers, and fashion bloggers from all over the country took this opportunity to get a glimpse of the current fall/winter collection.

By opening the brand store in Madrid, BIRKENSTOCK is pursuing its strategy of moderate expansion of in-house retail. This strategy forms part of a comprehensive quality offensive in distribution, which the traditional family company aims to use to familiarize end customers and retail partners with the many positive new additions to the collection and the brand image at the point of sale. BIRKENSTOCK currently operates 35 stores around the world, the majority of which are located in Germany. A further 30 to 40 stores are planned for the next twelve months. Most of them will open in neighboring European countries, as well as Asia and the US.

Spain has long been on the wish list of BIRKENSTOCK retail executives. Alongside Germany, Austria, Brazil, and the US, Spain is one of the few markets in which BIRKENSTOCK has its own in-house distribution structures. It’s also no coincidence that Germany’s biggest shoe manufacturer has opened its first brand store on the Spanish mainland in Madrid. With a population of seven million, the Madrid Metropolitan Area is one of the largest conurbations in the European Union. The city of Madrid itself is home to nearly 3.2 million people, making it the third-largest city in the EU after London and Berlin. What’s more, millions of tourists from around the world flock to the Spanish capital in the summer months. All of this makes Madrid the perfect location for the first brand store in Spain.

The design of the new BIRKENSTOCK store is in keeping with the uniform store concept that was introduced globally in 2015. High-quality, sustainably sourced natural materials – which are reflected in the shoes and sandals – have been used for the shop fittings. These include leather, natural cork, and wool felt. Furthermore, a larger-than-life, concrete-look footprint with leather edging adorns one of the side walls, serving as a reminder of the origin of this traditional company – in other words, the footbed that was invented by a German shoemaking dynasty whose roots go back to 1774.