BIRKENSTOCK has officially planted its first footprint in Switzerland, opening a new store on April 14, 2026, in Zurich’s historic Old Town. The store at Storchengasse 23 marks the brand’s 30th own retail location in Europe, a milestone that signals just how deliberately BIRKENSTOCK is building its direct to consumer footprint across the continent. For a brand whose shoemaking tradition dates back to 1774, opening in Zurich, one of Europe’s most design conscious cities, feels long overdue.
A Store That Feels Like the Country
The 70 square meter space on Storchengasse, a cobblestone street in Zurich’s protected Old Town was designed as a love letter to Switzerland itself. The front of the store evokes the country’s vast alpine outdoors, while the back transitions into a more intimate, interior atmosphere. Materials throughout were chosen to reflect Swiss craft traditions: end grain wood tiles, untreated rock, darkened wooden logs, and stone carpet sand flooring. Pine wood shelves carry brand messages engraved using traditional wood carving techniques, a detail that ties the space back to the kind of handcraft BIRKENSTOCK has built its identity on.
Details With History
One of the store’s most distinctive design choices is its custom made bench, upholstered in a deep burgundy inspired by the red ox sign on the building’s façade, a historically protected symbol that has graced the property since 1357, dating to an era when such symbols guided visitors who couldn’t read. The cork jute lighting overhead pays tribute to BIRKENSTOCK’s iconic footbed, while an oversized footprint displayed on the wall makes the brand’s founding purpose impossible to miss.
What’s Inside
The product universe on offer spans BIRKENSTOCK’s full range: iconic sandals, clogs, closed shoes, timeless collections, and seasonal releases. Notably, the ZÜRICH silhouette an open toe style originally designed by Karl Birkenstock in 1964, takes a central place in the assortment, an appropriate choice for the store’s location. The Professionals collection, shoe care products, accessories, and the Care Essentials foot treatment range round out the offering. Deconstructed displays of the ARIZONA, BOSTON, and ZÜRICH styles put the brand’s shoemaking craftsmanship directly on view, an editorial touch that turns product knowledge into part of the store experience.
Community First
To mark the opening, BIRKENSTOCK invited its local community for an activation on April 16, 2026, featuring a culinary experience and a craft workshop where guests could engage hands on with Swiss craft traditions. The first 50 visitors on opening day received a special welcome gift bag, a small gesture that reflects how BIRKENSTOCK tends to open stores: not with a campaign blast, but with a neighborhood moment.
With around 6,200 employees worldwide and production still over 95% based in Germany, BIRKENSTOCK continues to expand its retail presence while holding firm on the manufacturing values that define the brand. The Zurich store is the latest proof that a nearly 250 year old brand can still find new ground to stand on.
