Birkenstock 1774: Where Heritage Meets Design
Since 1774, BIRKENSTOCK has shaped a legacy of craftsmanship and innovation. The Birkenstock 1774 showroom on Rue Saint-Honoré embodies this spirit—set within a Haussmannian Parisian apartment, it unites history, architecture, and contemporary design. Curated furnishings, vintage classics, and artisanal details create a space where functionality and timeless aesthetics coexist, echoing the brand’s ethos of quality and longevity.
Since 1774, BIRKENSTOCK has been constantly devising new ways for the brand—the inventor of the footbed—to improve the lives of its customers with footwear that adapts to any situation in life. Thanks to its premium quality products, BIRKENSTOCK offers an exceptional alternative for those seeking functionality, durability, and sustainability. Birkenstock 1774, whose name reflects the year the brand was founded, was created as a showcase for the brand’s special projects and the 1774 collection, which will be launched shortly, and could only find a home on Rue Saint-Honoré.
The 170-square-meter showroom is located in a typical Haussmannian Parisian apartment with wood paneling on the walls, adjoining rooms, stone fireplaces, and parquet floors. The new interior concept for Birkenstock 1774 was designed by Nick Vinson of Vinson & Co, who traveled throughout Europe in search of vintage and new furnishings, decorations, and furniture in a palette of warm wood and aged leather. Functional and flexible oak tables by Philipp Mainzer are arranged throughout the space and paired with Cab chairs designed by Mario Bellini in 1978, characterized by the patina of age visible in the tanned leather, 1950s Medea chairs in plywood by Vittorio Nobili, and, in the executive offices, specially selected chairs by Charles and Ray Eames with soft, worn upholstery.
The shoes are displayed on Achille Castiglioni’s Lungangolo bookcase, a folding oak and glass trolley from the 1940s, Aldo Bakker’s Tri-Angle stools, and Simon Hasan’s Cleft Oak benches. Other eye-catching seating includes Roly-Poly chairs by Toogood in colored raw fiberglass alongside armchairs by Pierre Jeanneret from 1954, handmade in Chandigarh, India. The rugs are made of straw fiber, grown and woven in the United Kingdom, while ceramics designed in the 1940s and ’50s by Swiss ceramist Margit Linck are displayed alongside Simon Hasan’s leather-cooked vases. The light fixtures are by Carl Auböck and J.T. Kalmar, both from the 1950s.
Artistic panels specially commissioned from London embroiderer Geraldine Larkin, made of jute and felt, echo the soles and uppers of Birkenstock shoes. Other works of art include important lithographs by Hans Hartung and Edoardo Chillida. Ceramics by Anaphi, trays by Michaël Verheyden, tableware by John Pawson, Wrap vases by Simon Hasan, and Pride cutlery by David Mellor complete the carefully curated selection of accessories. All items are made in Europe from high-quality materials and feature timeless designs in line with the Birkenstock ethos.
Photography by DePasquale+Maffini
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