MILAN — Birkenstock is stepping into the Milanese retail scene in a big way.
The brand has zeroed in on a location in the arty Brera district for its first flagship store in the Italian fashion capital, following outposts in Rome and Verona.
In contrast to its other units, the Milan store was developed with a site-specific interior concept and enriched with elements and activations intended to celebrate both its tropes and the local design, cultural and social scene.
The Birkenstock flagship in Milan.
Maarten Willemstein/Courtesy of Birkenstock
“Opening our new store in Milan’s Brera district is a strong reflection of our commitment to bringing Birkenstock’s core values — function, quality and tradition to our growing community of loyal consumers in Italy,” said Andrea Cannavò, the brand’s vice president direct-to-consumer and membership EMEA. “With a uniquely crafted store design, we aim to foster a more personal connection with our consumers — through immersive storytelling and experiences centered around the footbed, all set in an environment that blends our brand values with the vibrant spirit of Brera.”
Spanning two floors, the 1,291-square-foot space evokes Birkenstock’s signature footbed via cork finishes and wood furniture that dominate the neutral-toned, raw-textured and soft-lighted environment. Interactive digital implementations further add to the narrative by enabling visitors to dig deeper in the orthopedic features of the brand’s collections and discover styles that match their needs, including its iconic Boston, Arizona and Madrid designs. These are carried next to seasonal models, the Professional and Premium 1774 lines and its Care Essentials foot care products.
Inside the Birkenstock flagship in Milan.
Maarten Willemstein/Courtesy of Birkenstock
Other nods to Birkenstock’s expertise — rooted in studies of the biomechanics of the human foot and on a family tradition of shoemaking tracing back to 1774 — range from the “Natural Fit” animated 3D video to the “Walk With Me” in-store installation curated by designer and gallerist Frederik De Wachter and fashion editor Fabiana Fierotti, which invite visitors to explore Milanese escapes interactively.
An artisanal, sculptural take on the foot theme is offered through three ceramic pieces, instead. Resembling contemporary fossils, these were created in collaboration with Milanese artist Gianluca Brando, one of the local artists Birkenstock tapped to celebrate the store opening.
Details at the Birkenstock flagship in Milan.
Maarten Willemstein/Courtesy of Birkenstock
For the occasion, the brand tied up with a curated collective of Milan-based talents and institutions — spanning chefs, artists, musicians, architects — shaping today’s cityscape.
For one, the store’s soft opening on Thursday will be celebrated with a partnership with the city’s storied Gelateria Umberto 1934, resulting in a co-branded cart handing complimentary artisanal gelato to visitors. These will additionally receive a limited-edition, transformable apron bag filled designed by Letizia Caramia and Morten Thuesen of Milan-based multidisciplinary design studio Older Studio.
Letizia Caramia and Morten Thuesen of Older Studio starring in Birkenstock’s “Gli Artigiani di Milano” campaign.
Carlotta Manaigo/Courtesy of Birkenstock
Brando and the Older Studio duo will also star in a special campaign Birkenstock developed for the opening. Dubbed “Gli Artigiani di Milano,” the images photographed by Carlotta Manaigo under the creative direction of the Vesper Milano production house portray them and Milanese chef Mimosa Misasi wearing a different style of Birkenstock sandals in their favorite outdoor spots in the Brera neighborhood.
To be displayed across Milan as well as on the brand’s social media in early September, the poster series and flanking video content will build momentum ahead of the three-day activations and private events that will celebrate the store’s official opening starting Sept. 10.
Mimosa Misasi starring in Birkenstock’s “Gli Artigiani di Milano” campaign.
Carlotta Manaigo/Courtesy of Birkenstock
Projects will include an immersive gardening workshop led by chef and foraging expert Alessandro Di Tizio, inviting guests to reconnect with nature through urban foraging and hands-on work with plants, and an in-store wine tasting with Michele De Liguoro, chef of Rovello 18, the restaurant that formerly occupied the store’s location. In the same vein, Birkenstock also collaborated with Milanese ceramic laboratory Laboratorio Paravicini to create a limited series of hand-painted plates as a tribute to the restaurant.
An intimate dinner experience overseen by Misasi and Di Tizio and flanked by a live music performance will be additionally staged at the Brera’s Orto Botanico botanical garden, while an in-store cocktail featuring delicatessen shaped like the Birkenstock footbed and a DJ set curated by the Santamaria Sound Studio creative consultancy will welcome a wider audience on the final day of the activations.
Gianluca Brando starring in Birkenstock’s “Gli Artigiani di Milano” campaign.
Carlotta Manaigo/Courtesy of Birkenstock
The Milan store marks Birkenstock’s 42nd unit in Europe and comes at a time when the company continues to increase its global retail footprint. Earlier this year, the German footwear brand opened the doors to its latest American outpost in Nashville, marking the 10th Birkenstock-owned retail location in the U.S.
This followed its fourth London store unveiled in March and second store in Paris. Also this year, the company cut the ribbon of its first store in the Netherlands in Amsterdam, and converted its Cologne, Germany pop-up into a permanent retail location.
Over in Asia, Birkenstock opened a special yearlong pop-up shop in Kyoto, Japan, on the iconic Shijo Street within a traditional Machiya town house, as well as transformed its Shanghai pop-up into a permanent space.
Mimosa Misasi wearing the Super Birki 2.0 style in Birkenstock’s “Gli Artigiani di Milano” campaign.
Carlotta Manaigo/Courtesy of Birkenstock
