A foot in the door: Birkenstock opens three more stores in Mumbai

German footwear brand Birkenstock appears to have taken a shine to Mumbai, home of Bollywood, and India in general. In April last year, it opened its first Indian flagship store on Mumbai's iconic Linking Road, a popular location for international and domestic brands alike. Puma, Levi’s, Benetton, Vero Moda, Raymond, Anita Dongre and others rub shoulders here.

Since April 2024, Birkenstock has opened additional stores in Mumbai and other Indian cities like New Delhi, Pune, Bengaluru, Kochi and Noida. Three more stores in Mumbai bring the number of Indian retail outlets to an impressive 50.

“Mumbai has repeatedly proven to be a high-potential market for Birkenstock, reflecting consumers' growing preference for high-quality, comfortable fashion,” commented the brand in a statement on the choice of location. The extensive store network is intended to "serve the growing demand while offering existing and new customers easier access".

Presence in the city's main shopping malls

Following the stand-alone shop on Linking Road, Birkenstock is now focusing on Mumbai's shopping malls. The new stores are located in the city's most popular shopping centres: Phoenix Palladium is not only one of the largest shopping centres in the city, but in the country. Phoenix Market City is a joint venture between Phoenix Mills Ltd. and Crest Ventures Pvt. Ltd. Sky City Mall, by Oberoi Realty, which only opened earlier this year, is the city's newest shopping centre, with direct access by metro.

The new stores reflect Birkenstock's global retail identity, which the brand describes as “clear, modern and rooted in craftsmanship”. Each shop offers the latest spring/summer 2025 collection, featuring iconic styles such as the Arizona, Boston, Gizeh and Madrid styles. There are also seasonal highlights and new material innovations. The store at Phoenix Palladium also presents the Birkenstock 1774 collection.

In addition to the three new mall locations and the flagship store on Linking Road, Birkenstock is presented in three other Mumbai shopping centres - R City Mall, Nexus Seawoods Mall, Infiniti Mall Malad - and at the international airport terminal T2.

“From the opening of our flagship store in Mumbai to our now eight locations in the city, it has been an extraordinary journey. The momentum we are experiencing in Mumbai reflects both the global appeal of the brand and the evolving retail landscape of the city. We look forward to building on this foundation,” commented Vinay Bansal, managing director of Birkenstock India, in the statement.

Could this mean that Birkenstocks will soon be seen sparkling on the feet of Bollywood stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan or Priyanka Chopra? The future will tell.