Birkenstocks have been around forever. The German brand (established in 1797) is most well known for it’s support and ability to mould to the shape of any foot.
Birkenstock footbeds are made from a combination of cork, latex and jute; and sole unit of a shock absorbent rubber. Other features include a raised toe bar – designed to assist the toes in their natural gripping motion, and the heel cup that helps to keep the foot in place.
Over time, the use and production of materials used by Birkenstock has evolved. Today, thanks to new footwear design concepts and a wider range of materials available, Birkenstock has expanded its line of comfortable footwear to include more than 400 style/color combinations.
With the growing popularity of the brand, Birkenstock has now expanded into 8 branches…
Classic,Papillio, Birki, Betula, Newalk, Footprints, Tatami and Alpro.
Birkenstock footbed components
Cork, latex and jute are some of the few sustainable raw materials used/available in the footwear industry. Of these components, cork is actually really cool stuff. Did you know?
- Cork trees hold the ground water and provide cover and shade for smaller plants and animals and therefore are an important basis for traditional agricultural and farming economies.
- Cork is a valuable natural resource with many uses.The bark can be peeled away and it will grow back.
- Today every part of the cork harvest is put to use. Leftovers from the bottle cork stamping process are ground down in various sizes and then sorted by quality.
- Birkenstock ground cork comes from the first quality by-products of the wine industry.
Low waste production
There is little waste from the production processes:
- Cork latex mixture is made in small batches to minimize any waste. Any excess is recycled.
- Scrap leather is used in the production of other materials, such as an alternative footbed liner material called LEFA.
- Left-over EVA from the sole production process is broken down and further processed for use in children’s playgrounds, sport fields and sound barriers along freeways.
- Three large heat recovery systems recover the heat produced and use it to dry the cork footbeds, doubling the energy efficiency of the machinery.
Recycled materials
Birkenstock footwear is packaged in boxes made of 90% recycled paper and printed with inks that are environmentally friendly.
Birkenstock manufacturing and production must comply with stringent recycling and waste laws in Germany where the manufacturer is responsible for all the packaging components and their recyclability.
