Nursing Trends
Footwear is one of the most popular lifestyle industrial sectors in the market. With so many varieties, so many brands, so many colors, so many shades, so many types of footwear, people have a plethora of choices to choose from. Naturally, this also generates a category of people who are footwear enthusiasts. They always keep an eye on whatever the latest developments are generating in the footwear industry and keep themselves updated with the latest trends. Regardless of whether you are a footwear enthusiast or not, you must have heard about birkis and Birkenstock. You have not? Do not worry, reading through this article will clear all your doubts and questions about the same.
There is a great deal of confusion among people to understand the difference between birkis and Birkenstock. Are these two different brands? Are these the alternate names of the same product? Are these two subcategories of the same product? What if I tell you that a product called ‘birkies’ also exists that is completely different from the former? Too confusing, right? Thought so, and here we are to remove the misconception.
What exactly is the difference between Birkis and Birkenstock?
To clear it out, first of all, ‘birkies’ is an alternate brand name for Birkenstock. Yes, so technically, whenever we refer to Birkenstock, we also refer to birkies because both mean the same thing. Now that birkies are sorted let’s figure out the actual difference between Birkies and Birkenstock. For ages, Birkenstock has been a very popular footwear company that deals with sandals, shoes, and a lot more. The brand is more than 200 years old and was first established in 1774. Since the company was launched, they received a huge demand because they brought in something new for people, and that too at an affordable rate. Wearing footwear during those days was considered a luxury and Birkenstock made it possible for everyone to feel the same luxury at an affordable price. Their famous strap style and clog style sandals are products people love to flaunt on the streets. One of the most common traits of the Birkenstock company is that they often name their products in the States of the US. Some of their most popular products include Boston, Arizona, Arizona Vegan, which contribute to most of their sales.
Birkenstock brought in leather shoes and sandals that were comfortable to wear and remained good for a long time even after rough usage. It was for this reason that people absolutely loved this brand. They produce classy and vintage or modern-looking shoes catering to the needs of every customer. Now coming to Birkis, it is also a footwear brand just like Birkenstock, and on top of that, Birkis was founded by the same founders that made Birkenstock. Birkis was launched in 1993, much later after the success of the parent brand. Birkis was made keeping in mind the youth, and hence they launched products that appealed to the youth – vibrant colors, unique designs, minimal branding.
Why was Birkis created?
Every company wants to diversify its portfolio of products to capture a larger portion of the market. The founding members of the Birkenstock company thought the same and decided to launch Birkis in 1993 to appeal to the younger generation. However, for a few years after the launch, people thought that Birkis was a dummy brand or an artificial brand that some rivals had created, or that it was a dumping brand by the original company to sell shoes and sandals as a new product with this brand which was rejected as an identity of the original brand. Due to this reason, the newer brand did not see much sales initially. The company then took stock of the situation and released advertisements on a wide scale highlighting all the unique features of the new brand and the kind of products that they offer, also to remove all the negativities associated with the brand. Luckily, this tactic worked, and people started purchasing shoes from this company.
What do both the brands offer to the public in general?
As mentioned earlier, both Birkis and Birkenstock are footwear brands that have been made to cater to the footwear needs of the public. Birkenstock focuses on the mature audiences having a classy taste, whereas Birkis was made keeping the young generation in mind. Birkenstock continues to come with leather and matte material finish shoes and sandals, continuing the legacy. They also make non-leather shoes and sandals, but their sale is very minimal compared to the traditional ones.
Birkis, on the other hand, comes in vibrant colors, unique design patterns, and a variety of materials, with the view of targeting the millennials. The company was founded by Alex Birkenstock, who also happens to be one of the co-founders of the Birkenstock Shoe Company. His decision to create an entirely new brand for catering to a particular audience was initially rejected a lot of times by the stakeholders stating that instead of creating a new brand, they can keep diversifying the original brand, striving to create a legacy. However, Alex thought that creating two separate brands would be easier for word-of-mouth marketing because people will have a clear idea to approach which brand according to their needs. It was a risky move that Alex played however, the move played well because ultimately, Birkies did do very well in the market.
What do both these brands have in common?
Since both Birkenstock and Birkies have the same parent, there is little to zero distinction between the two products in terms of methods involved in making the shoes, the kind of materials used, and the logistics involved. Both the brands are somewhat exactly the same, only the brand name and the target audience is different. Both the companies operate from Germany, their home base, which gives them the ability to have full control over the production process and to keep things under control. Other competitors tend to move to other countries like America and Asia and compromise on quality control, however, the aim and ambition of the Birkenstock family always remained the same – to deliver quality products.
So, the next time you purchase a product from Birkenstock or Birkies, remember that several hundred years of experience have been involved and crafted into each shoe they produce, ensuring that the perfect person finds the perfect fit at the perfect price.
