As a Birkenstock obsessive, the German company's recent uptick in elevated footwear is an absolute treat. First, there was the fancy Cannes sandal, and now there's the St. Barths, which looks all the world like a Birkenstock Arizona gone luxe.
Both of these recent shoes have the appearance of classic Birks gone fancy. Smooth grain leather in monochrome shades, minimalist buckles, blacked-out leather footbeds that add an extra-understated appearances to ultra-wearable shoes: I mean, what's not to like?
The St. Barths, named for an island synonymous with vacation getaways, is especially beachy. Sharing the same two-strap shape as the Arizona, Birkenstock's St. Barths really looks like something that'd come from Birkenstock's 1774 collection, the top-tier sub-label best-known for issuing luxury collaborations and remaking staple shapes in premium materials.
In fact, Birkenstock has released quite a few 1774-ified Arizonas, though none quite hit the same minimalist spot as the St. Barths, which is a mainline shoe and not part of 1774, to be clear.
The best comparison I can think of is the summery shoes that Birkenstock designed with upscale Italian hotel Il Pellicano and, of course, the Jil Sander x Birkenstock collection from a couple years ago.
Dare to compare when Birkenstock releases the St. Barths online and at select stockists on August 16, presumably for a price adjacent to the Cannes' $230 MSRP.
Birkenstock is really just flexing its cork muscles, now. The German company is doing it all, dishing cushy EVA foam versions of its signature sandals right alongside these high-end shoes as it reportedly eyes an eye-popping, multi-billion-dollar valuation.
Again, I love me some Birkenstock, so no complaints here. Keep the good-looking shoes coming!
