Birkenstock's New Collection Updates the Arizona and Boston For the Better
If you had happened to walk along the small Hessian village of Langen-Bergheim in the 1700s, you might have chanced upon a shoemaker named Johann Adam Birkenstock. The German shoe manufacturer not only traces its roots from him and the village, but also its heritage of developing insoles and footwear for makers.
The shoemaker's great-great-grandson Konrad Birkenstock crafted the first contoured insole specially made for shoemakers which makes up a huge part of the Birkenstock sandal we know and love. So, it's only fitting that for its latest collection and campaign, the brand has tapped different key craftsmen and curators.
Birkenstock called upon Takashi Okabe, director of London's Clutch Café, for the campaign. As a curator, he has an eye for detail that aligns with the brand. "Style is all about being comfortable and happy about who you are," he says. "When choosing a product, I think about what it will be like to wear in ten years’ time. These things are all about bringing happiness, and being authentic in who you are and what you do."
Boston Bold
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Cornwall-based master woodworker James Otter also stars in the campaign. Otter crafts bespoke, hand-made surfboards that are infused with a deeply human character. "I think that creating something by hand is what defines us as humans," he says. "When you create something with your hands you leave something of yourself in the thing that you make. That makes a huge difference. And every time you paddle out with these boards you feel that humanity."
Boston Bold
Birkenstock
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Along with the campaign, Birkenstock and Otter have also worked together to create a one-of-a-kind surfboard. The hand-made, all-wooden 'eagle' is based on Californian design which "paddles against the flow of mainstream culture"—much like Birkenstock.
Arizona Bold
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Birkenstock's new Bold collection was conceived to bring "function, quality, and heritage" to classic models such as the Arizona and Boston. With bigger, brassier buckles and premium materials, the collection highlights craft and comfort. According to Birkenstock, the products are also a statement of opposition to the throwaway culture of fast fashion.
Arizona Bold
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The Birkenstock Bold collection is available to buy right now at stories in SM Mall of Asia, Alabang Town Center, and Lucky Chinatown Mall.
