Quality
From cork to sandal
BIRKENSTOCK products have been influenced over generations by a tireless creative quest for Naturgewolltes Gehen (walking as nature intended). We stand for extraordinary quality and next level functionality. This is a result of the high-quality materials we use and the fact that we manufacture in Germany, in production facilities owned exclusively by our company. An unusually high level of human skill and handcraft is utilised in our modern production processes. This is what makes BIRKENSTOCK products so special.
The anatomically contoured footbed, which has been developed by BIRKENSTOCK over more than a century, is the heart and soul of every sandal, clog and shoe the company produces. Only the best natural materials are used in footbed production. Within the footbed, layers of jute (a super strong and durable plant-based material), are combined with two different grades of granulated cork, which are bound together with a natural latex milk. These natural products are then topped with a leather lining created from European hides. It is a unique natural recipe that defines the BIRKENSTOCK footbed.
Before the baking process begins, the cork and latex mix is fed automatically into moulds, into which a base layer of jute has been added. Once the mix is in the mould, it is finished by hand — as even the smallest irregularities in the lay of the cork latex mix can lead to imperfections. Once the form is correctly moulded, and just prior to baking, the top covering of jute and leather linings are applied.
The quality and consistency of the cork-latex mix is regularly assessed. The formula is exact and has remained consistent for decades. It is the best kept secret at BIRKENSTOCK.
After baking, the footbeds are left to dry for 24 hours. They are then checked for small defects and splashes of latex and any imperfections are trimmed, sanded and scrubbed away. The perfectly-formed footbeds are then sent for sealing and coating, in order to make them hydrophobic.
Karl Birkenstock was well known as a tireless tinkerer. Karl’s legacy can be felt everywhere at BIRKENSTOCK, and nowhere more so than in the Markersdorf facility, where all BIRKENSTOCK buckles are manufactured. Practical, efficient solutions were important to Karl. He worked unflinchingly (some might say obsessively) to create the perfect steel fastening. His vision was to create the functional and uniquely designed equivalent of the three-pointed star of Mercedes in the BIRKENSTOCK buckle. In order to do this he wanted to execute each process as simply as possible.
