My initial adore was a pair of Birkenstocks. I was on the brink of tweenhood having cues from the awesome older children at my university, in which, seemingly, 1 shoe was aspect of the mandated uniform: the Birkenstock Boston clog. The teenagers of the time insisted on wearing these so significantly that the principal finally approved the backless shoe as a viable selection. I never ever seemed back right after that.
The Boston clogs of my youth have due to the fact been buried in the depths of my childhood dwelling, and my appreciate for Birkenstock took on a new sort with the brand’s Arizona sandals (I now own a few pairs and counting). But now, I want my Bostons back again. I imagined buying a new pair to get in touch with my individual would be uncomplicated, and then I was faced with the rude awakening that the fashion, especially in the Taupe colorway, is out of stock almost everywhere you go.
When the classic clog has been all around for ages, it’s experienced a particular resurgence more than the past year. Blame it on the trail of collaborations with luxury designers like Valentino, Manolo Blahnik, Proenza Schouler, and Rick Owens, or the have to have for all factors convenience in a article-pandemic earth, but this humble, podiatrist-authorised shoe has now turn out to be one of the best should-have objects of the instant. It was even named the Shoe of the Year in Lyst’s 2022 Calendar year in Style report.
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If that wasn’t plenty of to influence you that the Birks are back—and in a big way—the selection of people searching for the shoe on resale platforms like StockX has also surged. According to the StockX Significant Details: 2022 Developments report, searches for the “Birkenstock Boston” silhouette went up a whopping 741 p.c in contrast to final calendar year. Just after observing the rise in level of popularity above the 12 months, the platform, which experienced previously only detailed the brand’s collaboration styles, additional the classic Boston to its catalog to satisfy the need.
StockX is not the only resale system that is found an uptick in people vying for the shoe. According to Depop’s craze forecaster Agustina Panzoni, lookups for “Birkenstock Clog” on the application ended up up 129 p.c in Q3. In the previous 6 months, lookups for “Birkenstock” amplified by 168 %. Panzoni suggests that substantially of this has to do with the trend cycle, noting that the shoe was a person of the most significant early 2000s developments, and with existing Y2K obsessions, this comeback will come as no shock. Additionally, the forecaster attributes the clog’s chokehold on consumers to modern TikTok endorsements, as properly as famous people like Kendall Jenner, Kaia Gerber, and Dakota Johnson, who’ve all been witnessed sporting it.
In a natural way, with these a spike in curiosity, prices—whether they’re established by the brand alone or by others—are bound to improve. On StockX, the ordinary value for the Birkenstock Boston in Taupe was $182 for 2022, marking an 18 percent improve from its common retail cost of $155. And even though Depop is not in a position to disclose figures, a brief search by way of the app will present a good deal of new suede Boston clogs offering for nearly twice as a great deal as the initial level.
What is it about these unassuming sneakers that have made them so desirable? Could it be the classic clog silhouette and the neutral hues of the leather and suede products? Is it the orthopedic footbed that has us digging our heels in? Could it simply just be ease and comfort? Birkenstock’s CEO, Oliver Reichart, states it’s all of the higher than. Nevertheless, the urgency arrives from a want to be totally free of restrictive apparel. “When everybody was at dwelling, individuals continue to cared about their desk, their chair, their jogging bottoms and, indeed, their footwear,” he shares. “Birkenstock was a aspect of this self-reinvention, and the casualization of workwear throughout the pandemic was mirrored by the mass casualization of style. Cynthia Lee, the vice president of sneakers, clothing, and components at StockX, agrees. “We began to see additional of our buyers embrace comfort-oriented footwear like slides and clogs in 2020, and just a year afterwards, manufacturers like Birkenstock and Crocs were being amongst the swiftest-rising makes on the StockX platform,” she delivers, introducing that the trend has only accelerated in 2022.
Can we expect the Birkenstock Boston to maintain its existing cult following into the new yr? Odds are, almost certainly. Panzoni mentions that the clog is ideal for these who cherished the coastal grandmother aesthetic of very last summertime, declaring it is the fantastic shoe to carry on championing the appear when embracing cozier wintertime vibes. Lee shares the exact sentiment—especially in the resale current market. “Given the achievements the model has witnessed above the previous couple of several years, I assume we need to be expecting that Birkenstock will proceed to leverage collaborations and scarcity to push heat on each the primary industry and the secondary market place,” she says.
The proof is in the figures: Birkenstock clogs will not be likely wherever for 2023, particularly as far more and additional people today get their palms on them. If you materialize to locate a pair in your size and the selling price is suitable, I suggest acquiring them when you can. Even though you’re at it, if you see a pair in a sizing 37, be absolutely sure to grab ‘em (you know where to uncover me!).
Dale Arden Chong is the Senior Trend Commerce Editor at ELLE.com. Beforehand, she was an editor at MensHealth.com and has penned for Who What Have on, GLAMOUR, The Coveteur, and a lot more. She enjoys trend, food, and artwork, among the other things—but her finest really like is K-pop idol V of BTS.
