Birkenstocks Can Be for Winter, Too
If Birkenstock’s Arizona is a trusted summer companion, the Solana sandal is a plush, warm pillow for winter. A slip-on sandal wrapped in shearling, built for cold floors and colder months.
The shoe’s shape can be traced back to some of the brand’s more elevated experiments. A couple years ago, Birkenstock partnered with labels like Tekla and Fear of God for shoes that epitomized material quality over. Birkenstock has always taken materials as seriously as shape but these shoes were especially sumptuous, as indicated by their inclusion in the high-end 1774 collection.
Birkenstock's silhouettes stay familiar while the textiles rotate on occasion. The Solana sandal applies that logic to winter wear, reconsidering a shape akin to Fear of God's Birkenstock Los Feliz except fluffier.
The Solana's upper is made of wool felt with a wide strap across the instep that's easily adjustable with Velcro. Inside, the lining and footbed are full shearling, wrapping the foot instead of just cushioning it.
Venting at the toe and heel keeps heat from locking in, making these look like house shoes but wearable enough that you can actually step outside in them.
Underfoot, there is an EVA outsole paired with Birkenstock’s cork footbed, so the comfort reads Birkenstock first, slipper second.
The 1774 connection matters here. That line has shown how plush materials, quiet color, and stripped-back forms can register as luxurious object design, with shearling clogs and soft suede Arizonas that reconsider classic shapes with top-tier fabrication. In that vein, the Solana sandal is available on Birkenstock's website for $160 through Birkenstock’s website in colorways like “Oyster,” “Mauve,” and “Anthracite.”
Winter sandals aren’t new. UGG has them. Even Nike makes this sort of thing. Birkenstock has also been producing wintery shoes for a long spell so the Solana isn't an all-new innovation. But it represents something different — a reiteration of Birkenstock's mastery of form and fabrication in one pretty package. A Birkenstock for winter doesn't sound like such a crazy proposition after all.
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