This summer's sole heir to the footwear throne is, without doubt, the flat sandal. Be it pool slider, strappy, jelly or gladiator, the once considered 'lowly' alternative to the much celebrated heel is now at the cornerstone of every summer outfit. And we're not just talking in the day time, at a festival or at the beach. The flat sandal is now a very real fashion choice for date night, dinner with the girls and, hallelujah, for long sessions on the dance floor.
Amongst the heel-less heroes, is the Birkenstock, previously the domain of geeky tourists and those in their sixties. The simplistic cork 'footbed' flat with generous strapping is enjoying something of a resurgence on the runway and amongst fashion's A-list (inlcuding Alexa Chung, seen above)... and, of course, it's filtered straight down to the high street.
Just one glimpse into the footwear department of any high street store will alert you to the fact that there are many pretenders out there attempting to recreate the basics of a Birkenstock, but the German brand could potentially see off any competition thanks to its abundant styles, shades and strap choices. Below are just some of our favourites.
Birkenstock Arizona, £65
Rio Birko Flor, £44.95
Birkenstock Yara, £120
Gizeh Patent Birko Flor, £54.95
Papillio Madrid Textile-Leather Liberty Pepper, £49.95
Reasonably priced, comfortable and now the pinnacle of cool. What's there to argue about?
Still lacking in the sandal department? Check out our gallery of footwear treats below.
Check our more styles at www.birkenstock.co.uk.
