Birkenstock and The Great Make Arty Shoes
L.A.-based casual Americana brand The Great, founded in 2015 by designers Emily Current and Meritt Elliot, is releasing a Birkenstock collaboration.
Available Wednesday at all six of their retail stores, and Thursday on their thisisthegreat.com website, the collaboration features hand-painted, customized Boston clogs in two paint-splattered colors and Arizona sandals in three paint-splattered colors.
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“The brand has been woven into my life since growing up in Northern California, where our family tradition involved an annual visit to the local mom-and-pop Birkenstock shop,” said Current.
“We have been good friends with Emily and Meritt for years. Their philosophy at The Great naturally connects with the Birkenstock attitude of being comfortable and loving what you dress in, regardless of where you are going. It’s a pleasure to see our lifelong fans put their splash on these unique styles,” said David Kahan, president, Birkenstock Americas, in a statement.
In addition to the limited-edition footwear, the brand will also introduce a curated selection of its American-made knits featuring the same hand-painted aesthetic, including vintage-inspired sweatpants, pocket Ts, and college sweatshirts. Prices range from $285 for the Arizona and go up to $325 for the Boston, while the painted apparel ranges from $135 to $225.
“From fading to mending to paint splatters, we love finding vintage treasures that have character and traces of wear. We wanted our design for these Birkenstock to echo that same sentiment, giving each piece a perfectly imperfect paint splatter print that looks loved, lived-in, and full of stories to tell,” said Elliot, adding, “From the start of The Great, these iconic styles have been part of our campaigns and shoots year after year. They embody the casual, relaxed and effortless aesthetic we crave — a defining expression of our core identity.”
This is the first chapter of an ongoing collaboration between the two brands; a second drop will come in early spring.
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