LINZ AM RHEIN, Germany and SHANGHAI, July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- German footbed brand BIRKENSTOCK officially unveils its first community experience store in China at HKRI Taikoo Hui, Shanghai, beginning a new chapter of immersive brand experience in the heart of a metropolitan commercial district where Shanghainese culture meets modern trends. Purpose-driven and rooted in the commitment to foot health, grounded in the signature footbed, and driven by quality and innovation, BIRKENSTOCK draws on the core technology of its classic original cork-latex footbed to share the life philosophy of "Walk Naturally." The new store will become a multi-functional experience space combining a full-category product experience, diverse community co-creation and foot spa treatments.

WALKING TOGETHER, BUILDING A FOOT HEALTH COMMUNITY

As the first community experience store in China, the store breaks away from the traditional retail model by creating a dedicated community co-creation space. The dedicated community space offers two signature services: footwear care and personalized engraving customization. The basic footwear care service uses BIRKENSTOCK's own shoe care products, ensuring to extend the life cycle of the footwear's natural materials.

The Foot Spa treatment zone, paired with professional care products from the BIRKENSTOCK CARE ESSENTIALS range, offers consumers BIRKENSTOCK's signature foot care services. The entire care range features vegan formulas made with 100% natural origin ingredients, holds the authoritative European COSMOS Natural certification, and is made in Germany – safe, gentle and worry-free. Drawing on the brand's foot biomechanic research that is closely tied to the brand DNA, consumers can book care experiences via BIRKENSTOCK's official WeChat mini program.

BIRKENSTOCK will join hands with local cultural and active lifestyle communities to host interactive workshops and hands-on DIY sessions, spreading the philosophy of natural walking. People are invited to explore the brand universe and reconnect their feet with nature and daily life.

A FULL PRODUCT MATRIX FOR EVERY SCENARIO

The space features a comprehensive and richly diverse product lineup, from sandals and clogs to closed-toe shoes, meeting the wearing needs of consumers of all ages across multiple scenarios. The store brings together timeless design icons such as the ARIZONA, BOSTON and MADRID, alongside a wide variety of new seasonal arrivals.

Among them are BIRKENSTOCK's professional slip-resistant BOSTON PRO and TOKIO PRO chef shoes, as well as functional styles from the BIRKI PU clog range. All styles in this Professionals functional protection range are built on the brand's original cork-latex footbed and are designed for professionals who stand and walk for long hours, effectively distributing foot pressure and providing stable arch support.

The Kids category experience area features a creative display inspired by the beads of the traditional Eastern abacus, presenting the brand's rich and diverse children's product line. The Kids range continues the cork-latex footbed technology engineered for natural movement, embedding natural walking as a healthy gait memory from childhood.

THE NATURAL WALKING PHILOSOPHY, A HERITAGE OF GERMAN CRAFTSMANSHIP

As the inventor of the footbed, BIRKENSTOCK has long dedicated itself to research into the biomechanics of the human foot. Since 1774, the brand has crafted anatomically shaped footwear built around the principle of walking as intended by nature. Its iconic cork-latex footbed is an ergonomic masterpiece constructed from natural cork, jute and latex to deliver reliable support and evenly distributed foot pressure. Furthermore, over 95% of all BIRKENSTOCK products are fully assembled in Germany.

At the store entrance, a giant footbed display wall deconstructs and vividly presents the footbed's core ergonomic structure, allowing consumers to clearly perceive the scientific foundation behind natural walking. Stepping inside, a brand archive wall presents BIRKENSTOCK's more than 250-year-long tradition in shoemaking and its cultural heritage.

The spatial design of the new HKRI Taikoo Hui community experience store ingeniously blends Eastern wellness culture with foot health concepts. Inspired by traditional Chinese medicine chests, a dedicated footbed storage experience area invites consumers to try on classic footbeds on site, in a full size range of EU 35-45.

The BIRKENSTOCK HKRI Taikoo Hui community experience store in Shanghai marks an important step in the brand's expanding presence in the Chinese market and its localized strategic layout. Going forward, the brand will continue to deepen exchanges and collaboration with diverse local cultural communities through this community experience store, allowing more Chinese consumers to immerse themselves in the charm of natural walking.

INFORMATION FOR EDITORIAL TEAMS

BIRKENSTOCK Community Experience Store
HKRI Taikoo Hui, Shanghai

Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, 10:00-22:00

Address: Unit LG116, LG1 Floor, HKRI Taikoo Hui
288 Shimen Yi Road, Jing'an District
Shanghai

ABOUT BIRKENSTOCK

BIRKENSTOCK is a global brand which embraces all consumers regardless of geography, gender, age and income and which is committed to a clear purpose – maintaining foot health. Deeply rooted in studies of the biomechanics of the human foot and footed on a family tradition of shoemaking that can be traced back to 1774, BIRKENSTOCK is a timeless «super brand» with a brand universe that transcends product categories and ranges from entry-level to luxury price points while addressing the growing need for a conscious and active lifestyle. Function, quality and tradition are the core values of the lifestyle brand which features products in the footwear, sleep systems and natural cosmetics segments. BIRKENSTOCK is the inventor of the footbed and has shaped the principle of walking as intended by nature ("Naturgewolltes Gehen").

With around 6,200 employees worldwide, BIRKENSTOCK is convinced that how things are made matters as much as the product itself. To ensure these quality standards, the Group operates a vertically integrated manufacturing base and produces all footbeds in Germany. In addition, BIRKENSTOCK assembles over 95% of all products in Germany and sources over 90% of materials and components from Europe. Raw materials are processed to the highest environmental and social standards in the industry. For materials testing BIRKENSTOCK operates state-of-the-art scientific laboratories.

Headquartered in Linz am Rhein, the BIRKENSTOCK Group also operates its own sales offices in the United States and Canada as well as in Brazil, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Poland, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, the United Kingdom, France, Norway, the Netherlands, Dubai, Singapore and India.

Birkenstock Group B.V. & Co. KG
Burg Ockenfels, Linz am Rhein, Germany

For further information, please visit www.birkenstock-group.com.
You can find our online shop at www.birkenstock.com.

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