When it comes to Birkenstocks, I pride myself on being an early adopter.

Long before they were cool, I would rock my Birks with jeans, dresses and shorts.

And so when they came ‘back in’, I was hardly surprised, more thinking ‘it’s about time’.

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today

There is one Birkenstock model that I particularly love, and one that the fashion set can’t get enough of right now, either.

Step forward the Birkenstock Boston.

Designed by Karl Birkenstock and first released in 1976, the functional clog has spent the past 50 years becoming a cultural icon.

First released in 1976, the functional Birkenstock clog has spent the past 50 years becoming a cultural icon. Credit: Birkenstock

The Boston was the first semi-closed shoe with the original Birkenstock cork-latex footbed, which enables ‘natural walking’ as on sand, moss or grass. Credit: Werner Bartsch/Werner Bartsch

Perfectly embodying the idea that comfort and cool should never be mutually exclusive, the launch of the Birkenstock Boston in 1976 Birkenstock fundamentally redefined the clog category, which now spans a wide variety of interpretations and applications – all based on the legendary footbed.

At the time, the Boston represented a revolution in clog design – as in 1976, the category was defined almost entirely by heavy wooden platforms.

The Boston was the first semi-closed shoe with the original Birkenstock cork-latex footbed, which enables ‘natural walking’ as on sand, moss or grass.

With its androgynous silhouette, the Boston follows the clear, architectural lines of brutalism, a style to which Karl Birkenstock was consistently committed with his vision of anatomically healthy footwear.

Some 50 years later, there are so many different colours, styles and iterations of the Birkenstock Boston, with its upper serving as a compelling canvas for international creative collaborators.

Whether you’re after something casual to pair with your gym gear or something more polished for with your officewear, there’s a pair of Birkenstock Bostons for every occasion.

Whether you’re after something casual to pair with your gym gear or something more polished for with your officewear, there’s a pair of Birkenstock Bostons to wear. Credit: Instagram

Many on Instagram show how they can be styled differently. Credit: Instagram

And there aren’t many shoes that can pull off both ends of the fashion spectrum.

In honour of Birkenstock Bostons’ 50th birthday, shoppers can purchase a pair of Boston clogs and receive a complimentary shoe bag and pin between August 17 and August 30.

Not only this, but customers who purchase a pair of Boston Clogs and subscribe to the newsletter will be entered into a draw to win the value of their purchase back as a Birkenstock voucher.

Three winners will be drawn each week throughout the promotional period.

For more information and to browse the Birkenstock website for yourself, head here now.

Five fantastic Birkenstock Boston options to shop right now

1. Birkenstock Boston Habana Oiled Leather, $298

2. Birkenstock Boston SFB Basalt Grey Suede Leather, $31

3. Birkenstock Boston Exquisite Rivets Acai Suede Leather, $430

4. Birkenstock Boston Braided Mink Suede Leather, $317

5. Birkenstock Boston Big Buckle Shearling Teddy Eggshell, $411

The history of the Birkenstock Boston

When the Boston was first introduced in 1976, it was called the ‘Kork-Clog’ in Germany and the ‘Soft Clog’ in the US, in tribute to its ‘quiet’ nature.  Credit: Instagram

When the Boston was first introduced in 1976, it was called the ‘Kork-Clog’ in Germany and the ‘Soft Clog’ in the US, in tribute to its ‘quiet’ nature.

The model was available in white, dark brown and light brown.

Medical professionals were among its most devoted early adopters, drawn to its practicality and versatility – a shoe that protected the toes, slipped on and off with ease and held up through even the longest and most demanding working days, all year round.

Compared to the wooden soles that were common back then, the Birkenstock footbed was a visionary innovation that still serves as the foundation of every Birkenstock clog today.

Beyond its utilitarian roots, the Boston increasingly resonated across subcultural contexts such as the global hippie movement through its minimalist design language.

It first appeared in a fashion context in a 1985 Elle UK editorial featuring a pair of brown suede Bostons styled by Lucinda Chambers.

The Boston’s rise in global high fashion and streetwear gained momentum in the late 1990s.

In the UK, the Boston was particularly embraced by the Britpop movement, further cementing its subcultural credibility beyond its origins as a functional work shoe.

The silhouette reached its first peak of popularity with the 1999 film ‘Notting Hill’, in which Julia Roberts wears a pair of BOSTONs, combined with anklets, a floral dress and a knitted cardigan.