What is it?
Birkenstock worked with high–end shoe designer Manolo Blahnik for a collaboration featuring a remix of its classic Boston clogs and Arizona sandals made in fuchsia and cobalt-blue velvet and embellished like all Manolos. The collection features six shoes priced between $680 and $810.
Do I need this?
If you want to spend rent on a pair of shoes. We will probably just stick with good ol’ Birkenstocks this summer ourselves, and the brand has OG velvet Arizona sandals at a much lower price point, so those are always an option, too. But if you do want to splurge, they have the craftsmanship of Manolo Blahniks with the comfortability of Birkenstocks.
So how do I get it?
They will be in stores and on manoloblahnik.com, birkenstock.com, and retailers like Luisaviaroma and MyTheresa (where some colors have already sold out) starting March 24. Four more styles will drop in June.
What are people saying?
The feelings are mixed, but mostly excitement and some “Take my money” comments. One tweet said, “I can’t decide if the Birkenstock x Manolo Blahnik release is hideous or genius,” while others on Twitter were devastated that some already sold out. Birkenstock fans are no stranger to the brand’s luxury collaborations, including Phoebe Philo’s embellished and mink-lined Céline collab and Rick Owens’s classic black Birkenstocks with a patent-leather design, so it’s almost an expected surprise. A lot of people in WSJ. magazine’s Instagram comments (where the collab was first announced) are saying they’re very on brand for Carrie Bradshaw, who notoriously put Manolos on the map, and they’re not lying. “If shoes were a tv show, these would be And Just Like That,” one person commented.