Sales of Birkenstock sandals have soared in lockdown

Birkenstocks weren’t always fashionable. Now, there isn’t a fashion-forward person in the country who doesn’t have, or covet, a pair of the original ‘ugly’ sandals. Celebrity fans of the German, orthopedically-inspired shoe include Gigi Hadid, Charlize Theron, Emma Watson and Dakota Johnson, and the London fashion set - think Alexa Chung, Nick Grimshaw - have also been known to show their love for the clunky footwear. In fact, sales of Birkenstocks have been soaring since March when COVID-19 restrictions first came into effect in the UK. John Lewis initially reported sales were up by 44% each week, while Selfridges has seen a 140% increase in demand since March. Birkenstocks are the perfect shoe for the warmer months, will last you for many, many years and ideal for leaving by the back door and slipping on when taking the bins out. In short, ugly is in and - more importantly - it’s super comfortable, too.