Birkenstock Bold reimagines its classic shapes in shearling

Side by side images of a shearling Birkenstock Bold sandal and carved wooden furniture — Left, Birkenstock ‘Bold’ shearling Boston clog. Right, works by Vince Skelly

(Image credit: Courtesy of Birkenstock)

The Birkenstock ‘Bold’ collection is a celebration of the German shoemaker’s deep-rooted history of craft, and collaborations with artisans, artists and creatives from around the world in the accompanying campaigns.

The latest edition – which arrives in stores on 16 December 2022 – sees perhaps the brand’s most memorable styles, the ‘Arizona’ and ‘Boston’ shoes, reimagined with soft, warm shearling lining across the classic Birkenstock footbed. As such, they are a particularly appealing proposition for a season of cold days and at-home hibernation ahead.

Birkenstock ‘Bold’ featuring American artist Vince Skelly

Shearling Birkenstock on floor — Birkenstock ‘Bold’ Arizona sandals in shearling

To celebrate the collection’s launch, Birkenstock has released an accompanying series of images featuring the Californian artist Vince Skelly and his sculptural wooden furniture. A previous ‘Bold’ campaign featured Takashi Okabe, director of London menswear store Clutch Café; and Cornwall-based master woodworker James Otter (the latter created a handmade surfboard for the campaign).

Skelly works within the realms of collective memory. Remarking on his practice, which he describes as ‘sketching with a chainsaw’, he draws directly onto wood before chipping, hacking and sculpting to allow it to take on its form. His works are weighty but adopt natural curves, which retain natural imperfections.

Artist Vince Skelly sits at home with his wooden works in background — Vince Skelly at home in California

‘I like the juxtaposition of clean openness with raw, rugged natural materials,’ he explains. ‘The wood is going to do what it wants to do; crack, ebb and flow with the change of the seasons.’

The suede ‘Arizona’ and ‘Boston’ shoes come in shades of brown and beige, echoing the natural tones that Skelly features in his works – and, like those works, are designed to take on the patina of life and wear.

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Martha Elliott is the Junior Digital News Editor at Wallpaper*. After graduating from university she worked in arts-based behavioural therapy, then embarked on a career in journalism, joining Wallpaper* at the start of 2022. She reports on art, design and architecture, as well as covering regular news stories across all channels.