Gather yourself for the shoe collaboration of a lifetime. Jil Sander+ X Birkenstock is here, and it's ticking all the boxes for the perfect capsule of flat shoes. Following its edgy collaboration with Rick Owens earlier in the year, the iconic footwear label has launched another faultless team-up, this time with Luke and Lucie Meier of Jil Sander, to create a tight capsule of four flat shoes as part of their Jil Sander+ line, a more casual iteration of the elevated luxury brand.
Riffing off of Birkenstocks classic silhouettes, the Milano, Arizona and Berlin, the sandals come as updated versions of the signature shoes. With codes that nod to the Sander name, the sandals come with enlarged outsoles and lengthy straps. Available in cream olive and black shades, each classic sandal pushed the idea of luxury into the staple silhouettes. The fourth shoe, is an unseen edition. Dubbed the Velan, the silhouette is reminiscent of the Berlin, with long straps that wrap around the ankle and an asymmetric front lending a point of difference.
“We have worn Birkenstocks for as long as we can remember. They are comfortable to wear, but also comforting,” Luke and Lucie Meier said of the collaboration. “They have been with us in some remarkable places, from camping in the Canadian wilderness to sitting fireside in the Swiss Alps. However, the quality and integrity of Birkenstock is what convinced us to work with them.”
In a campaign lensed by Talia Chetrit, the photographer captures the capsule in scenes of nature with pared back styling. A happy golden retriever smiles up at the camera, paws firmly planted in the Velans; a cat jumps from a tree next to the updated iteration of the Arizona; A model holds a different cat with a pair of the Berlin's in hand.
The Jil Sander+ X Birkenstock collaboration will launch on July 1 via the Jil Sander and Birkenstock 1774 websites, with further releases at select retailers scheduled for July 8.