Dior x Birkenstock couldn't have come soon enough. First seen in January as part of Dior's Fall/Winter 2022 collection, the collaborative sandals are finally here, though they ain't for the faint of wallet.
Like the rest of Dior FW22, the Birkenstock collab infuses conventional menswear with a sense of itinerant hardiness, transforming the Tokio mule and Milano sandal into luxury objects by way of plush felted wool and calfskin leather, Matthew M. Williams' signature buckles, and a bespoke Dior/Birkenstock outsole.
These shoes are part of the FW22 "CD 1947" capsule, which is steeped in historic cues, including shades of "Dior Gray" and an overarching homage to Christian Dior's love for gardening, hence the flowers in the campaign imagery and thematic Saddle Bag.
Available on June 16 for $1,100 apiece on Dior's website and select Dior stores, these are no mere Birkenstocks: they're high-falutin' Diorkenstocks.
That Dior branding do be adding a couple extra zeros to the price tag but you do get all those fancy bits of accoutrement, so the tradeoff is arguable.
I personally don't think you can go wrong Birkenstock's OG models but Dior's Birkenstock sandals are legitimate upgrades from the stock styles, at least.
But, thanks to Eli Russell Linnetz, these sandals aren't even Dior's singularly most covetable accessories of the year to some. Those chunky ERL x Dior shoes and fuzzy Saddly Bags are nothing to sneeze at.
But to me these may be the collab of the decade. Humble Birk sandals made extra beautiful through Dior magick? Be still my heart.
The Birkenstock Tokio is a classic silhouette and one of my all-time favorites in general — even though it's basically a Boston with a heel strap — so it's nice to see it getting more love these days.
According to Birkenstock itself, a new winter-ready Tokio is also rolling out for cooler weather as part of the mainline offering. And, thanks to Manolo Blahnik, there's no shortage of luxury Birkenstocks these days.
But it'll be hard to top the Diorkenstocks, which are so nice that I can hardly imagine dirtying them through wear. That is, if I could even afford what are probably the priciest Birkenstocks ever made.
