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Birkenstock.

Passing through mid-August means summer footwear choices are facing autumn transitions, making the half-century milestone of a legendary slip-on highly relevant. Fifty years after Karl Birkenstock introduced the clog, the silhouette is spending 2026 being celebrated, reinterpreted and worn through yet another summer of fashion chaos.

First launched in 1976, the Boston was a fairly radical proposition for its time. Instead of the heavy wooden platforms common to clogs, it used Birkenstock’s cork-latex footbed and a semi-closed shape designed around what the brand calls “natural walking.” Medical professionals were among its early adopters, affectionately naming it the ‘Kork-Clog’ because it protected their toes through demanding working hours.

The fashion crowd took a little longer to catch up, but its cultural takeover arrived gradually everywhere. A 1985 British Elle editorial marked an early appearance in fashion, followed by Narciso Rodriguez sending models down his Autumn/Winter 1998 runway in Boston clogs covered in cashmere flannel. By the end of the decade, the shoe had crossed properly into pop culture, with Julia Roberts wearing the Boston in ‘Notting Hill’ in 1999. What began as anatomically minded footwear had somehow become a fixture in the wardrobes of actors, designers and people who could not be bothered with laces.

Werner Bartsch.

Henry Leutwyler.

The 50th anniversary has given Birkenstock an excuse to rummage through that history while showing just how much room the Boston still leaves for reinterpretation. The anniversary programme revisits archive colours including archive yellow, archive denim blue and archive mid green, originally introduced briefly in 1977, while the wider 2026 line-up includes new materials, finishes and constructions across the clog category.

Fashion collaborations have naturally become part of the birthday festivities, through various designer pieces launched on Birkenstock 1774. Etro brought its paisley language to the Boston for its Autumn/Winter 2026 runway, pairing the clog with premium leather finishes, while Sacai took a more architectural route by combining the Boston with the Arizona sandal to create the new Cassette 75. The same collaboration also produced Aoyama 107, merging elements from the Madrid and Arizona. Beams has taken an equally recognisable route, returning to its Bone Pattern series with a black leather Boston embossed with the brand’s signature pattern. The upper treatment borrows a motif originally found on Birkenstock’s outsole, turning a functional detail into the main event.

Birkenstock.

Birkenstock.

The anniversary has also highlighted just how broad the Boston’s influence has become within Birkenstock itself. The silhouette now exists across versions including the work-focused Boston Pro, the outdoor-ready Boston Crosstown and the platform-soled Boston Chunky, as well as premium interpretations under Birkenstock 1774. More than 700 models now sit across the wider Birkenstock portfolio, but the Boston remains one of its central reference points.

There is a reason the shoe has survived so many changes in taste: its proportions are easy to recognise, the cork-latex footbed has remained central from day one and the upper gives designers plenty of room to experiment without losing the outline that made the Boston identifiable in the first place. Birkenstock itself describes the silhouette as a canvas for everything from material experimentation to embellishment and traditional craft techniques.

And now, in the middle of summer, the Boston is doing what it has always done best: refusing to belong to one particular tribe. Pair it with denim, linen, tailoring, a dress or the outfit you assembled five minutes before leaving the house, and it will look as perfectly matched as ever.

Discover the latest additions to the Boston range here.

photography. courtesy of Henry Leutwyler, Werner Bartsch, Birkenstock
words. Gennaro Costanzo

Puma x SAYSKY.

Puma and Copenhagen running label SAYSKY are challenging the idea that office hours should interfere with training schedules. Their third and final collaboration, ‘Back to Business,’ funnels corporate design codes straight into athletic apparel, applying clean lines and pinstripes to track-ready materials.

The collection arrives as the latest chapter in a partnership built around the increasingly broad culture of running. The creative union originally debuted in early 2025 with handwriting-graphic track trainers before releasing a second, community-focused autumn collection dedicated to race-day support networks later that year. “Running has evolved beyond sport,” says Conor Cashin, Puma’s Lead Product Line Manager. “It has become a culture, a community and a way people express who they are. With ‘Back to Business,’ we wanted to capture the mindset of runners who organise their lives around the miles that matter most.”

Puma x SAYSKY.

Puma x SAYSKY.

Two specialised footwear silhouettes lead the seasonal launch, balancing professional visual details with performance engineering. The Puma x SAYSKY Deviate Nitro Elite 4 covers competitive race days, using responsive carbon-fibre plating alongside nitrogen-infused cushioning to enhance stride efficiency. Meanwhile, daily training routines fall to the heavily cushioned MagMax Nitro 2, which relies on a thick midsole, an engineered knit upper and high-traction rubber outsoles for maximum impact protection. The race models feature dark, corporate tones accented with purple and blue detailing, while the max-cushion pairs incorporate bold lateral branding across the frame.

Minimalist Scandinavian aesthetics steer the accompanying clothing capsule, keeping the collection from looking overly corporate. Tailoring references inform breathable shirts, shorts and performance layers engineered to endure tough commutes and high-speed interval workouts. The campaign concept gets taken quite literally in Copenhagen on launch day, too. Puma and SAYSKY are staging the ‘Out of Office Relay’ on 20 August, transforming an office building into a running course that winds through lifts, stairwells and parking garages before ending with food, drinks and a celebration.

Puma x SAYSKY.

The Puma x SAYSKY ‘Back to Business’ collection launches globally on 20 August 2026 via Puma, SAYSKY and selected retailers. Find out more here.

photography. courtesy of Puma, SAYSKY
words. Gennaro Costanzo

SOREL.

Heavy snowstorms and frozen conditions call for clunky, calf-high boots, but a completely unexpected silhouette shift has entered the modern seasonal wardrobe. SOREL has chosen the eve of its 65th anniversary year to introduce the Ambler, an all-weather waterproof clog designed for year-round styling.

The new shape steps away from frozen fields, presenting an open-back profile that protects against rain while feeling far removed from the traditional winter boot. Its design takes the thick, vulcanised rubber protection of the brand’s iconic Caribou, first created in 1962, and condenses that cold-weather essence into a much lighter, slip-on silhouette.

“We took a heavyweight vulcanised rubber boot originally designed for harsh Canadian winters and translated it into a lightweight cushy mule,” explains Michael Minter, SOREL’s Vice President of Brand. “It still offers category-defying waterproof protection and a level of dress-up-or-down styling versatility that our competitors haven’t been able to.”

SOREL.

SOREL.

Underneath the streamlined shape, the Ambler keeps its practical credentials intact. The Ambler WP combines a nubuck upper with a leather shell, textile lining and an EVA midsole, while the waterproof construction is designed to handle the sudden downpour that can turn a five-minute walk into an unwanted swimming lesson.

The wider Ambler family expands that idea through different materials and finishes. The premium Ambler LX pushes the silhouette into full-grain leather, while the Ambler Fireside adds a softer, cosier treatment for colder days. The Autumn launch also comes in a selection of seasonal shades, including stone green, iced tea, bleached ceramic and classic black.

Discover the Ambler range here.

photography. courtesy of SOREL
words. Gennaro Costanzo