BIRKENSTOCK releases its forthcoming collaboration with Union, the LA-based menswear store that has been inspiring youth culture since the 1980s, unveiling the Bimshire, a new hybrid clog by owner and creative director Chris Gibbs.
A combination of features from Gibbs’ favourite perennial styles — Boston and Zurich, the Bimshire reinterprets casual footwear with a utilitarian twist, arriving just in time for the 60th anniversary of Zurich. Smooth natural leather straps envelop the top layer of its structure, weaving through Birkenstock’s classic buckles made with specialised fabric-feel treatment.
Birkenstock x Union
Below, a panel in tonal canvas is trimmed with French piping and finished with a round, classic suede toe. The anatomically shaped footbed is covered in nappa leather, tinted in UNION’s signature orange. Designed in desert tones of grey, taupe and sandy pink, the Bimshire is affectionately named after the island of Barbados, paying homage to Chris Gibbs’ Bajan roots.
Union has always been an epicentre for kids of the city’s counter-culture, the go-to place for all things cool and creative. Working at the store from its original location on Spring Street in New York, Gibbs took over the shop and elevated it to new heights, expanding to Japan and Los Angeles.
Birkenstock x Union
His longtime relationship with Birkenstock began over 30 years ago as a teenager growing up in Ottawa, seeking out his first pair in a vintage shop as a means of fitting in and subsequently becoming a devoted aficionado. Feeling like the outcast kid in a predominantly white city, Gibbs began experimenting with style in unorthodox ways, drawing inspiration from both his Canadian and West Indian heritage.
Birkenstock x Union
Following him through middle school to the 90s club scene in New York, Gibbs incorporates his “Birks” into any look, loyally proclaiming them his “wardrobe staple” to this day.
“It’s a dream come true to be working with Birkenstock; a brand that I have been wearing damn near since before I hit puberty. For a long time I was even teased for wearing ‘chancletas ‘, so it’s also super refreshing to see our community evolve,” says Chris Gibbs.
Birkenstock x Union
1774 is an exclusive division of Birkenstock dedicated to special projects and collaborations, continuing its innovative legacy by inviting designers and creatives to discover the archive of over 700 silhouettes and create new styles that unite elements from its stylistic repertoire.
by Chidozie Obasi