back to 1774 in Germany when Johann Adam Birkenstock registered himself as a ‘vassal and shoemaker’. Today Birkenstock is available around the world. In Australia there are six dedicated Birkenstock stores and around 450 stockists. The first Australian store opened in 1993 on Collins St, Melbourne. Birkenstock manufactures and sells shoes for men, women, and children that promote health, style, and comfort. “It’s always been Mr Birkenstock’s philosophy that Birkenstocks are designed for all walks of life, which means we sell children’s right through to adults sizes. I think it’s lovely if a teenager sits in a retail store trying on one of our shoes and a 90 year old grandmother is also trying on the same style and neither one feels silly,” said Goerke. “We are obviously delighted about the fashion appeal the brand seems to have at this point in time. Fortunately, with most heritage brands, that recurs every five to 10 years or so and that’s just simply wonderful, especially at a point in time where retail is struggling a little bit in Australia.” In the spring/summer season of 2014 Birkenstock had a resurgence in popularity and the brand experienced stock shortages globally. “I think Birkenstock Germany’s biggest challenge is to satisfy the demand there is to produce the quantities that are required in the world market. “In Australia in particular, we’ve done a great deal of work in recent weeks and months together with our retailers to forecast, so hopefully all of the work we have done is going to ensure a steady supply of stock to Australia.” This story first appeared in Inside Retail PREMIUM issue 2038. To subscribe, click here.