Are Birkenstocks Cool?

In the world of fashion, cool is relative. The guy wearing a giant onesie is cool because he looks ridiculous. The old man wearing Air Force Ones is cool because older men generally don’t wear a popular streetwear sneaker. But is the fashion conscious twenty or thirty-something cool with a pair of Birkenstocks? I’m here to answer that question!

In recent trends, loud prints like floral and paisley have been emerging through high end designers, trickling down to fast fashion retailers, such as Uniqlo or H&M. These loud prints have always been lurking on tourists and your parents, but as the fashion scene switches to “dadcore,” Birkenstocks are becoming more common.

Dadcore is simply described as things dads wear. Dadcore is coming back on the scene in part from movies with older movie stars like Liam Nesson and Bruce Willis. Seeing this older generation go crazy on the bad guys all while looking masculine and scoring the girl have popularized dadcore. Light wash jeans, shorter shorts, and New Balance fall into dadcore amongst a variety of others. Usually these clothing choices are ugly by itself and beautiful when paired correctly. Alright, enough about dadcore and onto the reason you’re reading: Are Birkenstocks cool?

The verdict: A courageous “yes.” If you’ve just started trying to dress better, don’t even think about trying them. I usually tell folks to stay away from sandals if you’re new at caring how you look and go with the safe option of boat shoes. Maybe you’re bored with white sneakers or Sperry’s and want to get adventurous. Well then, Birkenstock’s Arizona or Boston models are for you. Arizona has the classic double strap with metal clasps, giving your feet plenty of air if it gets too hot. The Boston model is less conventional and is more of a clog. My favorite is to wear them with wool socks. As an added bonus, they will be some of the most comfortable footwear you will ever have the pleasure of wearing. Dads are known for their laid back, casual style with comfort at the highest priority, so take a page from their book and get comfy.