How Worishofer sandals turned orthopaedic to chic

Worishofer sandals may once have been the signature shoe of Eastern European grannies, but in recent years they’ve been adopted by tastemakers and Hollywood A-listers alike. Karen O from Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Kirsten Dunst, Dakota Fanning, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams and MIA are among the luminaries to be spotted in Worishofers.

The Danes may have furniture, but the Germans have orthopaedic footwear. Worishofers were originally designed over 70 years ago and named after the Bavarian spa town from which they originate. The insole was designed by a German podiatrist for maximum comfort, making these sensible sandals the favourite amongst stylish, sophisticated women across continental Europe.

The tide turned when the influential youth US magazine Lucky described them as “chic” and “ridiculously comfortable” in their June 2016 issue, Worishofers began appearing in trendy boutiques in the New York area. On a trip to NYC in the summer of 2017 Play Purse and & Special Guests founder, Georgia Vaux, discovered Worishofers in a fashionable footwear store in Brooklyn. Paralysed with indecision between a black pair or a red pair and unable to fit both in her suitcase, she contented herself with the black slides, planning to buy the red ones when she got back to the UK. 

After discovering that they were not available anywhere in the UK, or even in Europe at that time, she embarked on a mission to bring them over the pond, becoming the only UK stockist (needless to say, she now owns Worishofers in all possible configurations of style and colour) and word of Worishofers’ arrival began to spread among those in the know.

Georgia Vaux in her coveted Worishofers (needless to say, she now owns them in all possible configurations of style and colour)

Distinguished by their perforated leather uppers and their cork wedge, Worishofers are reminiscent of the famous Scholl sandals of the 1970s but their slight heel gives Worishofers a more flattering and sexier look. The Worishofer 562 slingback style and distinctive Worishofer 583 laced sandal are takes on their signature Worishofer 251 leather slide sandal. These shoes manage to retain their classic but casual old-European glamour whilst also conveying an edge of anti-fashion perverseness that’s so, well, fashionable.

There’s nothing new about the fashion world coveting a so-called ‘ugly’ shoe. Swedish Hasbeens, Crocs, Birkenstocks, Uggs and Saltwater sandals have all had their moment in the sun, but Worishofers are the genuinely stylish antidote to the usual parade of practical footwear solutions and, unlike the infamous Croc, they can be worn without irony. Despite being designed purely with comfort and practicality in mind, Worishofers have an elegant silhouette that belies their wide-fit and contoured cork foot bed.

Worishofer sandals are available from & Special Guests in various colours and as slingback, lace-up and slide styles