Hi,

Birkenstock is one of the most iconic brands among shoes. The 245-year-old German sandal has historically been a favorite of America’s crunchy, outdoorsy set. In recent years, though, the shoe has received unexpected high-fashion attention with a slate of runway appearances and collaborations with luxury designers like Valentino, Rick Owens, and Opening Ceremony. Sales tripled between 2012 and 2016, according to news reports.

Following these rising sales, Birkenstock decided to pull their shoes from Amazon. That’s one reason we invited Birkenstock Americas CEO David Kahan to Code Commerce. According to Kahan, Amazon is the ideal platform for commodities, but it has little to offer brands with devoted followings.

We’ll ask him why he made that call, how it’s going for them, and what we should expect in terms of future fashion collaborations.

See it live at Code Commerce NEXT MONTH! Buy your tickets now: