Counterfeits

When you purchase a pair of Birkenstock sandals or shoes, you are not just getting high-quality footwear, but you are also getting the reassurance that your pair has been produced to our strict manufacturing standards and environmental practices- using natural, responsibly sourced materials.

All our sandals and footbeds are made in Germany, and our shoes are made in Europe. Counterfeits or copies are imitations of our footwear that do not offer the same comfort and quality you are assured of with genuine Birkenstock products. They can also be made with questionable materials in unregulated factories.

Illegal copies of our shoes are often produced without following the strict labour laws and environmental practices that are a part of our core values. Manufacturing our products in a sustainable, ethical manner is as important to us as it is to you.

Misleading advertising or the marketing of counterfeit products are at odds with our brand and are not in keeping with our understanding of our partnerships. Rather, they disappoint the customers and harm our brand. We therefore resolutely tackle such undesirable developments whenever they come to light. Find out more about our fight against product piracy here.

How to tell a genuine Birkenstock shoe from a fake

The only way to be absolutely sure that the item you are buying is a genuine Birkenstock is to buy from an authorised Birkenstock stockist.

If you have purchased from our website, one of our retail partners or our Newmarket, Takapuna or Christchurch store, we can guarantee that they are 100% genuine.

Although Birkenstock is a global brand, distributors only ship footwear to their own respective countries. For instance, on this site we sell our products only to customers living in New Zealand. Finding a website that offers to ship your order to both New Zealand and other countries, should raise a red flag.

Be wary of websites that offer our products at high discounts, often more than 50% below our RRP. If you are offered a Birkenstock shoe at a price that seems too good to be true, it probably is.

How to tell a genuine Birkenstock shoe from a fake

The only way to be absolutely sure that the item you are buying is a genuine Birkenstock is to buy from an authorised Birkenstock stockist.

If you have purchased from our website, one of our retail partners or our Newmarket, Takapuna or Christchurch store, we can guarantee that they are 100% genuine.

Although Birkenstock is a global brand, distributors only ship footwear to their own respective countries. For instance, on this site we sell our products only to customers living in New Zealand. Finding a website that offers to ship your order to both New Zealand and other countries, should raise a red flag.

Be wary of websites that offer our products at high discounts, often more than 50% below our RRP. If you are offered a Birkenstock shoe at a price that seems too good to be true, it probably is.