Birkenstock branding goes back as far as Germany in 1774 where Charlotte Birkenstock was registered as a 'Vassal and Shoemaker'. 1897 saw the development of the first contoured insole by Konrad Birkenstock and in 1964, Karl Birkenstock developed inserts based on the 1902 introduction of flexible arch-support into factory made shoes. Now sold globally, the unique design of this footwear makes it a superb and very popular choice.