Berlin — Birkenstock has opened one of its largest European stores in Berlin-Mitte, combining an expanded direct retail presence with a store concept designed around the German capital’s creative and cultural identity.

The new 125-square-metre store on Münzstraße opened on September 16, marking another step in the footwear brand’s retail expansion in its home market. The location replaces the brand’s previous Berlin store and gives Birkenstock a larger platform in the city centre.

Culture drives the new retail concept

The move comes as Birkenstock seeks to translate its more than 250-year shoemaking heritage into contemporary consumer experiences. The new store operates under the concept “Grounded in Culture,” linking the brand’s craftsmanship with Berlin’s architecture, history, design and music scene.

The interior combines Birkenstock-associated materials such as cork and jute with exposed concrete, wood and moss-covered elements inspired by Berlin’s urban landscape. Furniture and objects were developed with Berlin-based designers and studios, while local creative partners contribute to the store’s opening programme.

The approach turns the store from a conventional sales space into a physical brand experience, giving consumers an opportunity to interact with Birkenstock’s heritage through design, music and craftsmanship.

Wider product proposition

The store carries Birkenstock’s core footwear assortment, seasonal products and an exclusive selection from the 1774 line, alongside the Care Essentials collection. This broadens the retail proposition beyond the brand’s best-known footwear styles and gives the Berlin location a role in showcasing its wider product universe.

Commercial impact

The Berlin opening also supports Birkenstock’s strategy of expanding its own retail network and strengthening its relationship with consumers. The company’s direct-to-consumer channel accounted for 38% of sales in its latest fiscal year, according to Zonebourse, making company-operated stores an increasingly important part of its distribution strategy.

For Birkenstock, the new Berlin location therefore serves two purposes: increasing direct access to consumers while reinforcing the brand’s positioning around craftsmanship, design and cultural relevance.

The company operates globally with about 7,200 employees and has sales offices across Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific and other major markets. It also maintains a highly integrated manufacturing model, producing all of its footbeds in Germany and assembling more than 95% of its products in Germany.

The Berlin store consequently provides a high-visibility showcase for a German footwear brand using its manufacturing heritage and cultural identity as tools for contemporary retail expansion.