Birkenstock knows their shoes are ugly, and their new campaign embraces it.

Birkenstock knows their shoes are ugly, and their new campaign embraces it. The shoe brand is famed for their comfortable yet aesthetically unpleasant footwear, but they’re bent on setting the record straight behind the “ugly truth” of their brand. Foot health is a main focus behind the unique style, and in their new video How Feet Made Us Human includes experts discussing the evolution of the human foot, with (pardon the inevitable pun) footage of the many ways dancers, runners and everyday people put their feet through extremes.” This will be the first in a three-part installment series that emphasizes how the brand is prioritizing foot care. Birkenstock reportedly sells around “25 million pairs a year” and their fanbase primarily consists of “granola girls,” who embody an aesthetic based on hippies but more mainstream with earth tones and eco-conscious tendencies. But they might not need to convince young consumers that being ugly is good: YPulse’s Cult of Ugly trend report data shows that 70% of Gen Z and Millennials say it’s now cool to wear clothing that was once considered ugly. (Adweek)