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Barneys New York and Birkenstock are thinking outside the box and hoping you’ll shop inside their store-on-wheels. On Friday, the two companies teamed up to open the Birkenstock Box, a “mobile retail concept” made from converted freight containers that sells the shoe everyone loves to hate — including two new limited-edition pairs — plus a curated selection of goods from the department store. Located directly across from the Whitney Museum at 90 Gansevoort Street, the Box itself resembles a piece of art.
"The Box is really special because it’s the very first time Barneys New York has launched a retail concept outside of our stores," said Barneys New York's creative director Matthew Mazzucca, who designed the interior of the pop-up. "From a creative perspective, it gave us a unique opportunity to combine the Barneys aesthetic with Birkenstock’s DNA, while maintaining our visual language."
As for the shoes, the partnership introduced two versions of the two-strap Arizona sandal: The first, a black patent leather look with a pink shearling lining; the second features a dark gray velour strap, oversized metal buckles, and a blue shearling footbed. Each is priced at $290.
The Birkenstock Box is the latest concept store the brand has handed over to designers to customize: Artist Andreas Murkudis designed the previous edition in Berlin, Germany. Once the New York location closes its doors on September 12, the Box will then head to Miami to partner with The Webster. But fret not, Birkenstock is opening an adjacent pop-up that will be open until December. And If you can’t make either space IRL, the limited-edition shoes will be sold online at both Barneys and Birkenstock.
Just like that, the list of low-key cool Birkenstocks that we’re tempted to add to our closet got even longer. Click through to shop the sandals.
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