On July 20, BIRKENSTOCK will open its first retail store in France, located near the Centre Pompidou and Paris City Hall. This two-story, 130-square-meter store in the Marais district will showcase the brand’s core values and products.
Paris, a global fashion and cultural hub, and the vibrant Marais district, align well with BIRKENSTOCK’s brand identity. The store’s design includes gypsum walls, reflecting Paris’s historical quarries, and prominently features leather and cork, materials central to BIRKENSTOCK’s products. The basement will house an experience area with a giant light box for community events and retail activations.
For the opening, BIRKENSTOCK will feature the NATURAL ACTIVE RECOVERY PACK. Limited to 1,500 pieces, this kit includes the Active Recovery footbed, the special edition Birki Air 2.0, and new cork tools. The pack will be available in-store and online before its full integration into the BIRKENSTOCK range by 2025.
BIRKENSTOCK has a long history of prioritizing foot health. In the early 20th century, Konrad Birkenstock developed the anatomically shaped shoe last and flexible insoles, known as “Fußbett,” which laid the foundation for the BIRKENSTOCK system. This system, perfected in the 1960s by Karl Birkenstock, provides natural foot support and even weight distribution, enhancing foot health and comfort.
The new NATURAL ACTIVE RECOVERY package aims to further enhance foot recovery by combining active and passive regeneration techniques. This innovation builds on BIRKENSTOCK’s principle of promoting natural walking.
Before the store’s public opening on July 20, guests and media will have an exclusive preview on July 18 and 19. The preview will include guided sports sessions with Distance Athletic, a Paris-based running community, followed by recovery sessions with the new NATURAL ACTIVE RECOVERY KIT.
The Paris store opening is part of BIRKENSTOCK’s broader strategy to expand its retail presence in Europe. Over the next few years, the company plans to open additional stores in major European cities to bring the footbed experience directly to consumers and connect with local communities.
Nico Bouyakhf, President & Managing Director of BIRKENSTOCK Europe, stated that this store will help the brand connect more personally with consumers. He emphasized the significance of starting their retail expansion in Paris, a city rich in history and culture, and noted that the Marais location provides an authentic Parisian environment for showcasing the BIRKENSTOCK brand.