1774
Johann Adam Birkenstock registered in the church archives as "vassal and shoemaker".

1896
Konrad Birkenstock, master shoemaker has two shoe specialty stores in Frankfurt and is starting to produce footbed insoles.

1899

Old Advertisement

1913
Carl Birkenstock, the oldest son, enters the family business.

1915
During the war, Konrad Birkenstock Sen. is hired by the hospital Frankfurt-Friedrichsheim's orthopaedic workshop to manufacture custom orthopaedic footwear for wounded soldiers. Prof. Dr. med. Ludhoff, hospital director, approves and sponsors these shoes made by Konrad Birkenstock.

1925
Konrad Birkenstock jr. enters the company. A larger factory is purchased in Friedberg/Hessen. The large customer base makes it necessary to work in day and night shifts. The product: The Blue Footbed is successfully sold into Austria, France, Denmark, Czechia, Slovakia, Italy, Luxembourg, Belgium, Norway, The Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland.

1932
Start of the famous Birkenstock classes. More than 5,000 specialists are trained during the weeklong seminars in the following years. Leading doctors support the Birkenstock system.

1947
The book "Pediatric System Birkenstock" is published. 112 pages, 55 pictures, 14.000 copies. The most widely read and published text book on pediatry in its time.

Karl Birkenstock

1966
The self-colouring footprint paper has been successfullydeveloped. The process is patented in Germany, the U.S. and most European countries. This new self-coloring footprint paper makes it profitable to sell Birkenstocks via mail order.