For many, just the mention of Birkenstocks conjures images of granola and an assortment of hippies and tree-huggers.  Though the Birkenstock shoe and its familiar shaped sole traces its roots to its creator, Konrad Birkenstock of Germany, over a century ago it was an American, Margot Fraser who sought to bring the shoe she’d “discovered” while in Germany, back to the United States.  The sandals that most Americans are familiar with today are a version of the sandal created by Karl Birkenstock.  The comfy sandals have been available in the U.S. since 1967, and fans of the footwear haven’t seemed to have gotten enough. 

The specially-designed insole is quite a lot like a footprint and makes for easy and comfortable walking, molding the foot into a natural state.  Fully supportive, the cork and rubber soles slowly gained popularity and a trend was born.  By the 1970s, Birkenstock was a household name, especially in northern California where nature-lovers of all kinds took to the shoe.  Throughout the 1980s, Birkenstocks lost a bit of their edge, thanks to the doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals that started wearing the sandals.  Plus, it’s not like the Birkenstock came with a lot of flash and pizzazz like most trends of the 80s.  By the late 1980s and into the 1990s, popularity picked up once more, and the groovy feeling was on our feet once again.  Never has orthopedic footwear been so cool.