Hot Flash: The new "it" sandal

Making its appearance during New York Fashion Week in September, Birkenstocks have reinvented themselves (but not really, they are still the same sandal we all had when we were 8 years old) and have made their way into the high fashion world, becoming the latest and greatest trendy sandal.

The ugly sandal is featured in all the fashion magazines, talked about by popular fashion bloggers and is featured as the most popular picks for shoes on the majority of upscale department store websites.

Curious to see what our local Birkenstock vendors have to say about the trending sandal, we stopped in Martini Imports on St. Armands to talk about the comfortable and hideous, yet high fashion and trendy, sandal. 

It is true. Ugly shoes are in.

“They’ve been more popular this year than ever,” says assistant manager Gary Stehberger.

After instantly naming off three styles that are popular, he stopped himself before continuing down the line and said, “Really, just all of them.”

All of these ugly sandals are flying off the shelves and it’s not by chance. Customers aren’t just stumbling upon the shoes while looking around the store — they’re coming in specifically for Birks.

In the past year, the store has increased its shipments of the sandal by 40% to 50% to keep up with the demand.

It’s highly probable that we all will eventually fall victim to this ugly sandal trend, so you might be asking yourself, “With what do I wear such a sandal?”

According to the trending fashion feed on Pinterest: anything goes. From dressy to casual ensembles, this sandal is seen paired with it all.

It might be time for you to start thinking about what style Birk you want (toe strap or open toed, thin straps or the classic bulky, metallic leather or dirt-brown suede) and stop by our local vendors to test-drive them yourself. 

Birkenstock locations:
Comfort Shoes, 5128 Ocean Blvd.
Happy Feet Plus, 1453 Main St.
Martini Import Shoes, 321 John Ringling Blvd.