Why Birkenstock is trending in India: the Dior x Birkenstock edit

Birkenstock has been having a moment on Indian feeds lately, and it is worth being precise about why. It is not the classic cork sandal your parents wore on a beach holiday. It is one specific collaboration: Dior by Birkenstock, the luxury reimagining of two archive silhouettes that Kim Jones brought to Dior's runway and that has been selling out globally since (Source: Highsnobiety, 2022).

This guide is scoped tightly to that collaboration, because that is genuinely all that is relevant here. If you came looking for a general Birkenstock Boston or Arizona buying guide, this is not it, and honestly, that is a different shoe entirely from what is driving the current trend.

What the Dior x Birkenstock collaboration actually is

Dior first partnered with Birkenstock for the Dior Men's Winter 2022 to 2023 show, reworking two Birkenstock silhouettes: the Tokio mule, first released in 1987, and the Milano sandal (Source: L'Officiel USA, 2022). Both keep Birkenstock's anatomically shaped cork and latex footbed, but everything above it is rebuilt in Dior materials, think nubuck calfskin, felted wool, and hand finished detailing, with soles that combine the Dior Oblique motif and Birkenstock's Bone pattern outsole.

The collaboration returned for further seasons after the first drop sold out quickly despite pricing nearly a thousand dollars above any mainline Birkenstock style (Source: Highsnobiety, 2023). That combination, an instantly recognisable silhouette plus a heritage house's materials, is exactly why it keeps resurfacing on fashion feeds well after the original release.

Photo: Kicks Machine, Dior By Birkenstock Milano Sandal Grey

Sandale Milano vs Tokio Mule

The two silhouettes read very differently, and knowing the difference matters before you commit to either.

Sandale Milano is the strappier, sandal style build, with an adjustable back strap and the signature buckle hardware across the upper. It works better as an open, warm weather piece, which suits most of the year across Indian cities.

Tokio Mule is the backless slide version, easier to step in and out of, closer to a house slipper silhouette elevated with the same nubuck or felted wool uppers. It reads slightly more casual and pairs well with tailored trousers for a deliberately off duty look.

Neither is objectively better. Milano leans dressier because of the strap detail, Tokio leans easier to wear day to day. Pick based on how often you actually want to be undoing a buckle versus just sliding a shoe on.

What Kicks Machine carries, and why the range is small on purpose

To be upfront: the Birkenstock collection at Kicks Machine is exclusively Dior by Birkenstock pieces, Sandale Milano and Tokio Mule styles across a handful of colourways including khaki nubuck, pastel green, grey felt, and greige. This is not a general Birkenstock retailer with dozens of everyday styles. Given how limited and collectible this specific collaboration is globally, that narrow, curated scope is intentional rather than a gap.

Because these are genuine luxury collaboration pieces with prices that shift by colourway, material, and current stock, check the exact figure on each listing directly rather than relying on a number quoted here, since pricing for pieces like this moves with availability. That same reason is why the sourcing matters more than usual: a collaboration this hyped attracts counterfeits at every price point, and that is exactly why every pair at Kicks Machine is inspected in house before it ships, the same six step process we run across every luxury piece we carry, not just the pairs that are trending this month.

Why it is landing in India specifically right now

A few things are converging. Dior's cultural visibility in India has grown noticeably, with recent India facing shows and events pulling in Bollywood attention (Source: Gulf News, 2023). Sneaker and luxury crossover culture, already well established through Jordan and Yeezy collab hype, has primed Indian buyers to understand and want a shoe that mixes streetwear comfort with a maison's name on it. And Birkenstock as a brand has genuinely grown its footprint here, giving the base silhouette more everyday visibility even before the Dior connection registers with someone scrolling past it.

Put together, you get a shoe that reads as instantly recognisable to anyone into fashion, comfortable enough to actually wear, and rare enough that owning a pair still means something. That is a hard combination to manufacture, and it is why this specific collaboration keeps resurfacing rather than fading the way most hype pieces do.

Photo: Kicks Machine, Dior By Birkenstock Tokio Mule Grey

Is it actually worth the money

That depends entirely on what you are optimising for. If you want a comfortable everyday sandal, a mainline Birkenstock does the job for a fraction of the price. If you want a piece that functions as both a genuinely wearable shoe and a recognisable design object, the value case is different, closer to how people justify a designer bag purchase than a footwear one.

Worth flagging honestly: the classic Birkenstock footbed does require a break in period, and Dior kept that same footbed rather than softening it for the collaboration (Source: Highsnobiety, 2022). Budget a couple of weeks of adjustment before it feels like the comfort piece it is marketed as.

Given that break in period and the price point, a piece like this only makes sense bought from somewhere you can trust the paperwork on. Every pair we carry ships with original packaging and authentication intact, which matters more here than on a sneaker you might wear once and decide against, because resale on a piece like this depends entirely on it staying verifiably original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Dior Birkenstock and a regular Birkenstock?
The silhouette and cork footbed are shared, but Dior rebuilds the upper in luxury materials like nubuck calfskin and felted wool, adds Dior Oblique detailing to the sole, and prices it well above mainline Birkenstock styles.

Which is better, Sandale Milano or Tokio Mule?
Milano is the strappier sandal build, better for a dressier look. Tokio Mule is the backless slide version, easier to wear day to day. Neither is objectively superior, it depends on how you plan to style it.

Does Dior Birkenstock need to be broken in?
Yes, it keeps Birkenstock's classic cork footbed, which typically needs a couple of weeks to soften and mold to your foot, the same as any mainline Birkenstock.

Is Dior by Birkenstock only sold as clogs?
The main pieces are the Sandale Milano and the Tokio Mule, both closer to a sandal or mule than a closed clog, though Dior has also produced other silhouettes in the wider collaboration globally.

Why does Kicks Machine only carry the Dior collaboration and not regular Birkenstock?
The Birkenstock range on Kicks Machine is scoped specifically to this luxury collaboration, given how collectible and in demand these particular pieces are, rather than functioning as a general everyday Birkenstock retailer.

If the Dior edit has you convinced, the current lineup at Kicks Machine covers both silhouettes across the colourways in stock. Browse the Dior by Birkenstock collection for what is available right now.