- Words Isabelle Cassidy
In perhaps the ultimate meeting of fashion and comfort, the classic Birkenstock Clog got a high-fashion makeover at Dior's Autumn/Winter 2022 menswear show.
As big-brand collaborations continue to triumph, attendees of this years FW22 Men’s Fashion Week were undoubtably waiting to see what unlikely pairings the season would bring. The crowd would not have been disappointed by Dior’s showing, as the fashion house debuted a surprise rework of the classic Birkenstock Boston Clog.
Thibo Denis, the footwear visionary behind Dior’s recent hits like the B27’s and the Chuck Taylor-like B23 model, lent his design know-how to a reimagining of the Tokio Birkenstock Clog alongside current creative director Kim Jones. The Tokio’s worn on the FW22 Runway were in muted grey and black tones, featuring a Dior buckle by Matthew Williams as previously introduced to Dior by Jones.
The updated model has been made in several fabrications including gray felt and brown lambskin, with the additions of rubber mudguards, floral embroidery, a leather ankle strap and a Dior monogram-embossed sole.
It seems the pandemic’s resurgence of comfort-dressing has not entirely been left in 2021, and alongside the debut of the Mule, the collaboration also includes an updated Milano Sandal. The grey-felt sandal is another classic silhouette that has benefitted from Dior detailing.
Birkenstock have described the collection via Instagram as “a tribute to Monsieur Dior’s passion for the art of gardening, they have a functional style thanks to rubber details and industrial buckles”. The German brand also references the buckle features “emulating the accents of the Dior Saddle bag”.
The collection is set for release later this year.
