Karl Birkenstock’s creations hardly followed mainstream fashion – offering a choice of colorways was about the closest he came to thinking about style. He never adapted the iconic and basic design of his sandals to fashion trends. But as thong sandals became ubiquitous, eventually Karl did see that he could again create something special by designing a new style. This staple shape was not compatible with the all-important BIRKENSTOCK footbed, so Karl set about creating a version that was.
After three years of meticulous tinkering, he finally perfected the brand’s first design-led selection of thong sandals. ‘Gizeh’ was the stand-out success, going on to form part of today’s core collection. Over the years, this chic style has been sported by the likes of Julianne Moore, Heidi Klum, Anne Hathaway and Ashley Olsen.