Birkenstock voted most vegan-friendly footwear brand in the world

By

Robin Driver

Published
Feb 15, 2018

Germany’s largest footwear manufacturer, Birkenstock, famous for its signature sandals, has received the Libby Award “Most Vegan-Friendly Shoe Company 2017” from PETA USA's youth wing, Peta2. 

The award’s winner was decided through an online vote that attracted a record number of young people from around the world, with voter numbers doubling since last year.
 
It is the second award for Birkenstock from the international animal rights organization, as the company previously received the “Vegan Fashion Award” from PETA Deutschland for a vegan model of its “Madrid” sandal in September 2016.

“We are delighted to receive this award because it comes from the people we make our products for – our customers,” stated Birkenstock CEO Oliver Reichert in a release, “Especially among younger customers, there is a growing percentage who choose the vegan way of life. We offer many vegan products for these customers. The peta2 Libby Award motivates us to continue on this path.”
 
Anne Brainard, Director of Corporate Affairs at PETA, commented “As everyday consumers learn more about the importance of wearing vegan, Birkenstock continues to add more animal-friendly options to its collection, making it easy to have fun with our wardrobes while taking steps toward a kinder world for all beings.”
 
One fifth of Birkenstock sandals are made without animal components and the brand also includes vegan alternatives in new product categories such as its legwear collection. Furthermore, all products in the recently launched Birkenstock Natural Care line are vegan.
 
The Libby Award (short for “liberation”) was created by Peta2 – PETA USA’s youth organization targeting young people between the ages of 13 and 21 – to celebrate companies and individuals showing dedication to the promotion of animal rights. 2018 is the award’s 12th year and prizes were given in the categories of Heroes, Food and Lifestyle.
 
It’s a valuable accolade for Birkenstock as consumer preference shifts towards more ethical and sustainable products, and the millennial and Gen Z markets, often pointed out for their dedication to responsible brands, continue to grow.
 
Interestingly, a recent study from LIM college suggested that a brand’s ethical credentials may be far from the first consideration for consumers from these generations when making purchases. However, the same survey found that 90% of respondents would ditch a brand or product if they discovered it was environmentally unfriendly, indicating a real concern among millennials and Gen Z-ers about the actions and policies of the companies they patronize.
 
Birkenstock sells approximately 25 million pairs of shoes worldwide every year and employs 3,800 employees around the globe.