Basing his style on a 1964 model, Birkenstock creates the Zürich Tech, a futuristic utilitarian style.
Just a year after the release of the Birkenstock Madrid, the brand’s first sandal with its iconic insole that has nearly two centuries of history, came the Birkenstock Zürich. Unlike the minimalist Madrid, which was difficult to adapt to different contexts and temperatures, the Zürich offered a dynamic vision of how Birkenstock technology could be applied to everyday wearable models with its sturdy leather upper and timeless style. The Zürich’s core concept was a game changer for many of Birkenstock’s designs, as evidenced by the success of one of its heirs, the Arizona, which debuted nearly a decade later. The Birkenstock Zürich set a new standard for the brand by focusing on a single idea: pushing design to new places.
The Zürich design represented a vision of the future. However, time is not always linear; the past and the ideas that emerge from it are sometimes entirely new. In the case of the Zürich, its commitment to functionality triumphed over trends, a concept that is now carried over into the Birkenstock Zürich Tech.
On the 60th anniversary of the Zürich, Birkenstock has revived the original model’s ideas for a new contemporary creation. A new model that invites us to walk naturally into the future.
New materials and technologies combined with a timeless Birkenstock design create a future classic. It reinterprets the brand’s signature footbed with a modern look, transforming the original buckles into new technologically advanced closures. The EVA outsole is lightweight and comfortable, making it ideal for prolonged use. Its style, which evokes retro-futuristic aesthetics and a mid-century vision of the future, is modernised for urban wearers. The ultimate goal, to create a new functional silhouette for the future.
The three colorways, blue, white and black, of the new Birkenstock Zürich Tech are now available at FOOTDISTRICT.