• Intelligencer
  • The Cut
  • Vulture
  • The Strategist
  • Curbed
  • Grub Street
  • Subscribe to the Magazine Give a Gift Subscription Buy Back Issues Current Issue Contents New York Shop
    Subscribe to New York Magazine
  • Subscribe
  • Profile
    Sign Out
The Cut
  • Style
  • Self
  • Culture
  • Power
Style
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Parties & Red Carpet
  • Fashion Shows
  • Cathy Horyn
  • The Cut Shop
Self
  • Health & Wellness
  • The State of the Uterus
  • Parenting
  • Advice
  • Sex & Relationships
  • Horoscopes
Culture
  • Books
  • Television
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Celebrity
Power
  • Politics
  • Work
  • Money
  • Rebecca Traister
More
  • Latest Stories
  • Video
  • About Us
  • nymag.com
  • New York Magazine
  • Intelligencer
  • Vulture
  • The Cut
  • The Strategist
  • Grub Street
  • Curbed
party lines
June 3, 2014

‘Hip-Looking,’ ‘Unusually Quotidian’: 13 Fashion People on Birkenstocks

By Katie Van Syckle

Share

  • Share
  • Tweet
Photo: BFA

Last night at the CFDA Awards, we took advantage of having so many fashionable people in one place to solicit opinions on one of the summer’s more polarizing trends: Birkenstocks. Previously relegated to crunchy Vermonters and men, the traditional two-strap style has been gaining increasing ubiquity. “We’re at 97 percent, at least in the fashion crowd,” asserted Whitney Port when asked about the comfy sandals’ current saturation point. The Cut’s informal poll of attendees seemed to support this consensus: With a few exceptions, nearly everyone we talked to admitted to owning a pair of Birkenstocks or similarly styled mandals. Click through our slideshow to hear how Blake Lively, Leandra Medine, Joseph Altuzarra, and more, feel about the comfy slides.

Related

See All the 2014 CFDA Awards Red-Carpet Looks
View
1 / 12 Photos
Heidi Klum How do you feel about Birkenstocks? Well, I’ve designed many Birkenstocks in the past and I still love wearing them. Will we see you i... Heidi Klum How do you feel about Birkenstocks? Well, I’ve designed many Birkenstocks in the past and I still love wearing them. Will we see you in Birkenstocks? Of course. You probably see me in Birkenstocks every summer, and my kids too. We love them. Is there a way you style them to make them work, or do they work with anything? I don’t think they work with [just] anything. I like them with jeans, or I have tan ones you can wear with little shorts. Plus, I have a size-11 foot, so they look huge. Photo: BFA NYC
Leandra Medine Is there a summer trend you’d like to go away? I feel like Birkenstocks have become unusually quotidian. I’m trying not to use the... Leandra Medine Is there a summer trend you’d like to go away? I feel like Birkenstocks have become unusually quotidian. I’m trying not to use the word basic. How so? The problem when a piece like Birkenstocks becomes so trendy after being so “basic” (and they actually are basic, like, the fundamentals of someone’s wardrobe) [is that] they’re so easily co-opted, so when they start to be worn the wrong way, they start to be ruined for everyone. Is there a right way to wear them? Yeah, I think you need to wear them like you own a surfboard, with low-slung board shorts and a crop top, and some, like, reflective-lens sunglasses and messy hair, and look around and pretend like you don’t give a shit, or you actually you don’t give a shit. Photo: BFA NYC
Gia Coppola How do you feel about Birkenstocks? They’re comfortable. I just got a pair. Do you have a plan for how you’ll style them? I just wore... Gia Coppola How do you feel about Birkenstocks? They’re comfortable. I just got a pair. Do you have a plan for how you’ll style them? I just wore my Birkenstocks today, and I had a silver skirt by Elizabeth and James and then a vintage T-shirt. Do you think there’s a secret to the look? I think you’ve got to do whatever would be the opposite of what you’d expect to pair with a Birkenstock, maybe, but not too extreme. Just whatever feels right. Photo: BFA NYC
Zoe Kazan What do you think about the Birkenstock trend? I have feet so big for my body that I think if I put a Birkenstock on I would just imme... Zoe Kazan What do you think about the Birkenstock trend? I have feet so big for my body that I think if I put a Birkenstock on I would just immediately look like a capital L. So I don’t know that I’ll be wearing Birkenstocks, but never say never. Photo: BFA NYC
Blake Lively How do you feel about Birkenstocks? I’ve never worn them. They’re comfortable, but that whole normcore thing — it’s hard for me to g... Blake Lively How do you feel about Birkenstocks? I’ve never worn them. They’re comfortable, but that whole normcore thing — it’s hard for me to get behind, because I like dressing up, I like a sparkle. But more power to the people that can. Photo: BFA NYC
Steven Kolb How do you feel about Birkenstocks? Actually, my feet don't allow me to wear Birkenstocks. They just don't work. But I think they're ... Steven Kolb How do you feel about Birkenstocks? Actually, my feet don't allow me to wear Birkenstocks. They just don't work. But I think they're cool. I am a little of a hippie deep inside so I'm all for a throwback to the '70s. Why don't your feet allow you to wear Birkenstocks? I thought they worked for every foot. Not my foot. I’m a little bit of a klutz — you have to be a little bit smoother in shoes like that. Photo: BFA NYC
Joseph Atluzarra How do you feel about Birkenstocks? I sort of love Birkenstocks. I have a pair. Will we see you in them? Maybe, if you see me on... Joseph Atluzarra How do you feel about Birkenstocks? I sort of love Birkenstocks. I have a pair. Will we see you in them? Maybe, if you see me on the weekend. What’s the trick to styling an outfit with Birkenstocks? I don’t know that the Altuzarra woman wears Birkenstocks, but I think Birkenstocks are just easy, so it’s nice. Photo: BFA NYC
Greta Gerwig and Zac Posen What do you think about the Birkenstock trend? Gerwig: I grew up in Northern California, so I was born with Birkenstoc... Greta Gerwig and Zac Posen What do you think about the Birkenstock trend? Gerwig: I grew up in Northern California, so I was born with Birkenstocks on. So I’m into it. Posen: There are some hip-looking Birkenstocks. Céline made some good ones and Zara made them even better. Photo: BFA NYC
Whitney Port Do you think you’ll be investing in a pair any time soon? I saw someone in a pair of gold ones the other day, and I thought they wer... Whitney Port Do you think you’ll be investing in a pair any time soon? I saw someone in a pair of gold ones the other day, and I thought they were cute. Also, once a trend gets too trendy, then I sort of stay away. What saturation point are we at with Birkenstocks right now? We’re at 97 percent, at least in the fashion crowd. No one in Missouri is wearing Birkenstocks right now. Photo: BFA NYC
Monique Lhuillier (with Chanel Iman) How do you feel about the Birkenstock trend? I’m okay with it. I think they look really comfortable and if y... Monique Lhuillier (with Chanel Iman) How do you feel about the Birkenstock trend? I’m okay with it. I think they look really comfortable and if you wear the right outfit with them, it’s cute. What would you wear with a Birkenstock? I would do a really short short and a pretty top with a Birkenstock, because it’s less frumpy, and a little more put together. Photo: BFA NYC
Kenneth Cole What do you think about the Birkenstock sandal trend? It’s not an elegant trend, but it’s a very comforting one. People kind of wear... Kenneth Cole What do you think about the Birkenstock sandal trend? It’s not an elegant trend, but it’s a very comforting one. People kind of wear things that make them feel good and invariably they will often look good, so it becomes self-fulfilling. Will we see you in Birkenstocks? Not likely. Certainly not this week. Photo: BFA NYC
Stacey Bendet (with Beth Behrs) What do you think about Birkenstocks? I like making a woman look sexy — that’s part of my job and mission in life... Stacey Bendet (with Beth Behrs) What do you think about Birkenstocks? I like making a woman look sexy — that’s part of my job and mission in life — and those are not really sexy. They kind of give me bad ‘90s memories. People like them; it’s just not my thing. Uggs weren’t my thing either, and they were really big for a very long time. So I can be wrong, and I can admit that. Photo: BFA NYC
1 / 12

Tags:

  • party lines
  • birkenstocks
  • cfda awards 2014
  • mandals
  • blake lively
  • leandra medine
  • joseph altuzarra
  • heidi klum
  • gia coppola
  • monique lhuiller
  • zac posen
  • kenneth cole
  • greta gerwig
  • zoe kazan
  • stacey bendet
  • steven kolb
  • More

More Galleries

May 26, 2023
Cannes Film Festival 2023: Red Carpet  There’s more than movies to be shown. Here are all of the looks at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. 
keeping up with the royals May 6, 2023
All the Looks From King Charles III’s Coronation  Robes, crowns, and Katy Perry. 
By Brooke LaMantia
met gala 2023 May 2, 2023
Met Gala 2023: All the Looks  See all the dresses, some on-theme and some, well, not so much — honoring Karl Lagerfeld at the Met Gala. 
By Brooke LaMantia
oscars 2023 Mar. 12, 2023
Oscars Red Carpet 2023: Every Look  Rihanna! Florence Pugh! Michelle Yeoh! They’re all here. 
celebrity Feb. 19, 2023
All the Best Looks From the 2023 BAFTAs Red Carpet  Florence Pugh, Barry Keoghan, and Angela Bassett brought color to the red carpet. 
grammys 2023 Feb. 5, 2023
Every Look From the 2023 Grammys Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Lizzo, Bad Bunny, Adele, Doja Cat, Jack Harlow, Mary J. Blige, Sam Smith, and more.
By Brooke LaMantia
golden globes 2023 Jan. 10, 2023
All the Looks From the 2023 Golden Globes  Sheryl Lee Ralph, Jenna Ortega, Jessica Chastain, Julia Garner, Jeremy Allen White, Angela Bassett, and more. 
parties! Sept. 23, 2022
Katie Holmes, Chloë Sevigny, and More of the Bestest Party Pics This Week  Chanel, Mejuri, and more celebrate. 
parties! Sept. 16, 2022
Doja Cat, Lil Nas X, and More of the Bestest Party Pics This Week  Fendi, Frame, and Coach all celebrated NYFW. 
emmys 2022 Sept. 12, 2022
Emmys 2022: All the Red Carpet Looks  Updating: What Hollywood is wearing to the 2022 Primetime Emmy Awards. 
By Olivia Luppino
nyfw spring 2023 Sept. 9, 2022
Gigi Hadid, Chlöe Bailey, and More of the Bestest Party Pics of the Week  Saks Fifth Avenue, Longchamp, and more celebrate the beginning of NYFW. 
rip Sept. 9, 2022
The Queen Sure Did Love to Color-Coordinate  Monochrome for decades. 
red carpet Sept. 6, 2022
The Venice Film Festival Is a Major Fashion Event  Valentino and Gucci and Armani, oh my. 
red carpet June 5, 2022
All the Best Looks at the 2022 MTV Movie and TV Awards  Sydney Sweeney, Vanessa Hudgens, Jay Ellis, and more! 
parties! May 20, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  Harry Styles > everyone! 
parties! May 13, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  Bury me in Dove Cameron’s Saint Sintra skirt. 
parties! May 6, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  Cue the Met Gala after-party FOMO. 
met gala 2022 May 2, 2022
Met Gala 2022: All the Looks [Photos]  Billie Eilish, Kim Kardashian, Michelle Yeoh, Hailey Bieber, Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, Blake Lively, and more. 
parties! Apr. 29, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  This one goes to Olivia Rodrigo and her sweater vest. 
parties! Apr. 22, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  “Fuck those Zoom tops.” 
  • Style
  • Self
  • Culture
  • Power
  • About The Cut
  • About New York Magazine
  • Newsletters
  • Help
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Media Kit
  • We’re Hiring
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Ad Choices
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Accessibility
The Cut is a Vox Media Network. © 2023 Vox Media, LLC. All rights reserved.