L lately: The Birkenstock: yay or nay?

L lately blog: The Birkenstock: yay or nay?

In 1990, a British fashion photographer called Corrine Day was commissioned to take photos of a young model named Kate Moss for the July issue of The Face.

Unbeknownst to Corinne Day, the photos were later to become iconic and the shoot later to be heralded for launching the career of the most influential model of our time.

In it, a 15 year-old Kate Moss leans back against a white sun-cracked stucco wall in Camber Sands, England, and smokes a cigarette. The shoot was styled by Melanie Ward and a teenage Kate is dressed in a pair of white jeans, casually rolled up passed her ankles, along with a pair of white Arizona Birkenstocks.

Fast forward a couple of dormant-Birkenstock-years and cast your mind back to last spring. This is when a fashion designer, called Céline, evidently came to the conclusion that the Birkenstock volcano had been dormant for long enough.

With a quick swish of her Céline-esque magic wand, the designer performed what can only be described as the optimum in fashion feats. She took the ultimate anti-fashion shoe - the simple and humble Birkenstock- and, with the help of some fur-lining, transformed it into the most talked-about, fashionable and must-have shoe of the season.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet the (ahem) Furkenstock.

Yes, we were all absolutely confused by this footwear phenomenon at first (and most notably by the addition of the cookie-monster blue fuzz), but overriding all of our furry confusion was a lot of curiosity. This was mainly due to the fact that they looked like the comfiest pair of slippers that we would probably never own.

Of course, this trend soon trickled its way down to the high street, and while the blue fuzz hasn't quite survived this particular shoevolution, the features of the original Birkenstock are most definitely dominant on the shelves. In fact, take just one quick glance into the shoe section of any shop right now and you'll notice that there have been lots of attempts to recreate the basics of the German brand. The Birkenstock style is everywhere.

But what is the general consensus on these wide-soled German creations? Have you been won over by the comfort and charm of the Birkenstock? Or, are you avoiding them as if the appearance of feminine feet depended upon it?

These shoes rarely garner a 'meh' reaction.

However, if the strength of a fashion trend is anything to go by, then it's certainly time to let go of any frumpy associations that you may have had with this shoe. They're big (in every sense of the word), they're reasonably priced, and perhaps most importantly, they are ridiculously comfortable.