- This year, Birkenstock — leader in the international ‘comfort footwear’ movement — celebrates its 250th anniversary.
- As part of a wider global initiative, the brand is bringing its traveling Walk This Way photo exhibition to Sydney.
- The show is held in cooperation with Chinatown Country Club, and open to members of the public this week on November 8th and 9th.
Occasionally, even fashion obsessives are surprised to learn just how long of an association Birkenstock has had with the “health footwear” market here in Australia.
Directors of the company established a permanent presence in Melbourne beginning in 1992; and in that time, the Birkenstock footprint (cue canned laughter) has grown to encompass stores in Clifton Hill, Sydney, and the Melbourne CBD, with another planned for Brisbane by 2025.
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Still, by Birkenstock’s own internal standards, the three-odd decades it has spent wooing Australian shoppers is but a wrinkle in time (the German shoemaker traces its origins back to 1774).
Now, for a brief 48-hour interlude later this week, ‘Boston’ lovers, sightseers, and fans of iconic product design alike can all immerse themselves in the Birkenstock universe — as the brand inaugurates its 250th anniversary in Sydney.
The makers of traditionally crafted, cork-footbed shoes have teamed up with Chinatown Country Club for a takeover of the latter’s ‘Apartment’ event space. Here, members of the public will be able to catch the Aussie leg of Walk This Way: a unique travelling exhibition of archival Birkenstock images, curated for the brand by renowned Swiss photographer Henry Leutwyler.
Part of an international tour to celebrate Birkenstock’s 250th anniversary, the Walk This Way exhibition will be staged in a range of key cities for the brand. Outside of Australia, these include Tokyo, São Paulo, Shanghai, and London.
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Per Birkenstock Australia, a range of “select archival reprints” will be displayed for the exhibit: ranging from product blueprints to both vintage and contemporary advertising, in an effort to catalogue the brand’s storied multi-century journey.
As of writing, there’s no indication whether this event will form a backdrop to any special/limited edition launches. But at very least, this traveling exhibition offers an ideal opportunity to explore one of Australia’s best looking retail environments — and grab a match while you’re at it.
