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Gorpcore to Streetwear? Sandal Icon Birkenstock Is About to Head in a Shocking Direction

A novel endeavor sees the brand embrace new silhouettes that combine athletic detailing with design-focused styling.

Brown shoes with thick, textured black soles and a cork-like midsole, featuring a bright purple suede heel collar. The shoes are worn with white socks that have the number "1774" printed near the top.Birkenstock
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By Sean Tirman

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What do you think of when you hear the brand name “Birkenstock”? Probably sandals. Possibly patchouli-scented hippies or college students. How about experimental fashion? Likely not.

That could be about to change, however, as Birkenstock has announced a new endeavor that’s a bit more avant-garde than anything the brand has done before.

Birkenstock’s Ensemble 1774 takes the brand in a bold direction, and it could be a sign of things to come.

Low-top sneaker with a beige suede upper, green laces, and a green suede heel tab. It features a thick, textured brown midsole and a black rugged outsole with deep treads.
The Uerzell mule might be the highlight of the whole collection.
Birkenstock

A step in a new direction

Ensemble 1774 is a new offshoot of the brand’s existing sub-brand Birkenstock 1774 — a platform the brand has used to showcase luxury releases and fashion-forward collaborations. For reference, Birkenstock has most recently used it as a jumping-off point for its work with Kith and Maharishi.

However, the sub-brand also has its own lineup of high-end sandals, based on the brand’s existing silhouettes. That’s where Ensemble differs.

Pair of brown suede lace-up shoes with tan laces, black soles, and blue insoles featuring a logo and size markings. The shoes have a rounded toe and a purple accent at the heel collar.
All the shoes are built around the brand’s anatomically correct Blue Footbed.
Birkenstock

Whereas Birkenstock 1774 plays with existing silhouettes, Ensemble 1774 invites artists and designers to work on wholly original projects. These are new shoes from the ground up.

That starts with a collaboration with inaugural guest designer Thibo Denis. This first collection spans a trio of brand-new footwear silhouettes in a number of colorways.

A young man with curly hair sits on a low concrete ledge against a textured stone wall. He is wearing a dark blazer over a light blue striped shirt, beige cargo pants, white socks, and brown sneakers. The setting appears to be outdoors on a paved surface.
Despite their athletic details and outdoor pedigree, these shoes are refined enough for city wear.
Birkenstock

All in the family

All three silhouettes are admittedly pretty distinct from one another. They comprise the Uerzell mule, Stroedt low-profile sneaker and chunky Goerlitz sneaker.

They do have some similarities, however. For instance, all three are built on the brand’s anatomically correct Blue Footbed, a removable insole inspired by the brand’s orthopedic traditions. They also all sit on the same bulbous, tire-like outsole and textured cork midsole (a brand signature) — both inspired by athletics and sport (especially climbing and hiking).

Two sneakers shown in profile: the top sneaker is olive green suede with beige laces, a speckled brown midsole, black textured outsole, and a yellow heel accent; the bottom sneaker is black leather with matching black laces, a black midsole, black textured outsole, and a dark gray suede heel accent.
The other two silhouettes, the Goerlitz (above) and Stroedt (below), are full-blown sneakers.
Birkenstock

Their uppers, by contrast, vary quite a bit. The mule might be the highlight of the collection, with its refined suede upper and full-length lacing system. It comes in taupe, lime and maroon.

The other two are more similar. The Stroedt is a little sleeker, sporting a smooth leather upper with suede details, and black, white and lime colorways. And the Goerlitz — available in black, thyme, and mink — almost hearkens back to DC’s ultra-chunky D3 sneaker from the ’90s.

Black leather shoes with textured soles worn with black pants, shown mid-step above a beige stone ledge with green plants in the background.
Is this a sign of where the brand is headed next? Only time will tell.
Birkenstock

Coming soon

The Birkenstock Ensemble 1774 collection officially launches on October 2, 2025. However, it’s unclear if the collection will come to the States.

Along with declaring a range of European sizing (36 to 47), the brand has confirmed the collection will hit “selected global retail partners.”

About the Author: Sean Tirman is an associate editor at Gear Patrol who specializes in EDC, cannabis and outdoor gear.

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