The Birkenstock brand has been a staple with the outdoor crowd for decades. They鈥檝e been clipped to packs, stashed in car trunks for apr猫s, and called on as the adventure world鈥檚 de facto recovery and chill sandals, since they鈥檙e wicked comfortable and actually good for your feet. The only drawback: getting them wet, as outdoorsy types tend to do, is ill-advised. That鈥檚 what makes Birkenstock鈥檚 rugged new outdoor collection鈥攚hich marries the brand鈥檚 beloved contoured footbed with water-ready construction鈥攕o exciting. Here鈥檚 why you鈥檒l never need to take them off.
The Tech
Featuring two layers of polyurethane plus a layer of thermoplastic rubber, all direct-injected together, the German engineering and construction behind Birkenstock鈥檚 outdoor sandals are more reminiscent of mountaineering boots than open-toed footwear. The outsole has a self-cleaning lug design that sheds rocks and debris, plus it鈥檚 grippy enough for hiking and wet conditions. The footbed is polyurethane but features the same arch and metatarsal support as the classic design. Best of all, there鈥檚 no glue in the build, so delamination just won鈥檛 happen.
Up top, instead of leather and suede, you鈥檒l find synthetic straps with easy-to-operate hook-and-loop closures for full adjustability. The uppers are burly and protective on the outside but soft and cushy on the inside. These are madly tough and supportive sandals, not disposable flip-flops.
The Heritage
You wouldn鈥檛 know it if you鈥檝e ever spent time in a mountain town, but the classic Birkenstock sandals鈥攃ork/latex footbeds, leather uppers, and the adhesives that hold them all together鈥攚ere never designed for the terrain they often see with outdoor folks. But we wear them out there anyway and use up our beloved sandals before their time. It feels fitting that the company finally created a water-friendly riff on its tried-and-true classic to save us (and our favorite cork Birks) from ourselves.
The goal here is to keep your feet鈥攁nd therefore your whole body鈥攈appier in more environments. Think of the new offerings as burly off-road counterparts to your cherished suede and cork, with rugged construction to withstand serious abuse. Now you can slip them on for relief when you take off your climbing shoes or after that muddy mountain-bike ride and not worry about ruining聽 the natural materials. Hell, you can even wear them hiking鈥攚hich you might have done anyway. What stays the same is that classic contoured footbed that helps build foot strength and allows your feet to settle into a natural position, as if you鈥檙e walking on the sand.
The Sandals
Birkenstock engineered four water-friendly models, two for women and two for men. The women鈥檚 Sahara and the men鈥檚 Atacama are simple two-strap, slide-on designs for more casual pursuits. The women鈥檚 Kalahari and men鈥檚 Tatacoa are more secure thanks to the added back-strap. We like to think of the two-strap versions as your off-road dog walkers, camp slides, or post-adventure car shoes. The back-strap versions are stable enough for day hiking, SUPing, full-on whitewater, and the occasional jog back to the fire pit or car. The new designs are available in multiple colors, with prices ranging from $150 to $170.
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