THE UGLY SHOE

. BIRKENSTOCK ARIZONAS .

The ugly shoe has certainly made a 180 degree come back this season, donned the ugly shoe for ‘sensible’ walkers back when they first came about, now the perception of the Birkenstock couldn’t be further from it’s nickname. Thanks to the fashion week pack who so effortlessly revitalised the Birkenstock image with their laid back, effortless androgynous styling of the sandal, it’s since become a high street must have & a plausible piece of footwear to wear with almost any outfit. Summer dress, boyfriend shorts, skinny jeans or even a chic cocktail dress. There’s no ends to the potential of this black swan of a shoe.

 

I spent many a day idolising the style of those who pulled off such shoe, my Pinterest is evidence enough, and after randomly trying the shoe one day whilst browsing some shops in bath, I decided I may as well take the leap of faith and give the shoe a chance. Spurred on by my holiday, I invested in the leather Arizona Birkenstock in black, purchased from Net-a-Porter which genuinely seemed the only place that still had these in stock. Seriously. Who would have thought the demand for such a shoe would be so high.

The investment was worth it, in 2 weeks my £65 sandals are currently averaging £4.60 PW (per wear). Basically i’ve worn them every day, styled them with a varying array of looks (which you can check out on my instagram page here) and generally grown a lot of love for this pair of ugly sandals.

You’ve always got to keep an eye out for the underdog. Birkenstocks are leading the ugly shoe fan fair … and I don’t see an end in their infiltration of the fashion world any time soon.