• The packaging for the MSCHF 'Birkinstock' shoes is a copycat of the Hermes original. Courtesy MSCHF
    The packaging for the MSCHF 'Birkinstock' shoes is a copycat of the Hermes original. Courtesy MSCHF
  • The packaging of MSCHF's 'Birkinstock' shoes. Courtesy MSCHF
    The packaging of MSCHF's 'Birkinstock' shoes. Courtesy MSCHF
  • This pair of white 'Birkinstock' shoes is made from a Porosus crocodile Hermes Birkin bag that cost $31,000. Courtesy MSCHF
    This pair of white 'Birkinstock' shoes is made from a Porosus crocodile Hermes Birkin bag that cost $31,000. Courtesy MSCHF
  • These MSCHF 'Birkinstock' shoes were made by repurposing a Taurillon Clemence Birking 35 bag that cost $19,500 by Hermes. Courtesy MSCHF
    These MSCHF 'Birkinstock' shoes were made by repurposing a Taurillon Clemence Birking 35 bag that cost $19,500 by Hermes. Courtesy MSCHF
  • These 'Birkinstock' shoes were made by MSCHF out of a Hermes Porosus crocodile bag, worth $48,000. Courtesy MSCHF
    These 'Birkinstock' shoes were made by MSCHF out of a Hermes Porosus crocodile bag, worth $48,000. Courtesy MSCHF
  • 'Birkinstock' shoes made by the New York company MSCHF. Courtesy MSCHF
    'Birkinstock' shoes made by the New York company MSCHF. Courtesy MSCHF
  • An original Hermes Birkin Ostrich 35 bag, worth $24,000 was repurposed to make this pair of 'Birkinstock' shoes. Courtesy MSCHF
    An original Hermes Birkin Ostrich 35 bag, worth $24,000 was repurposed to make this pair of 'Birkinstock' shoes. Courtesy MSCHF
  • The 'Birkinstock' shoes by MSCHF are now selling for between $34,000 and $76,000. Courtesy MSCHF
    The 'Birkinstock' shoes by MSCHF are now selling for between $34,000 and $76,000. Courtesy MSCHF
  • MSCHF is known for high-profile stunts, but this one destroyed over $122,000 worth of Birkin handbags. Courtesy MSCHF
    MSCHF is known for high-profile stunts, but this one destroyed over $122,000 worth of Birkin handbags. Courtesy MSCHF

Lifestyle

Meet the 'Birkinstock', a $76,000 shoe made from an actual Hermes Birkin handbag

Could this be the ultimate work-from-home wear?

Sarah Maisey

February 09, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

Brooklyn company MSCHF has a reputation for pulling headline-grabbing stunts, and on Monday, it released what might be its most audacious project yet: Birkenstock sandals made from actual Hermes Birkin bags.

Clearly enjoying the play of words, the company, founded in 2016 by Gabriel Whaley, bought four vintage Hermes Birkin handbags, and remade them into shoes it has named Birkinstocks.

While sanctioned by neither the German shoemaker Birkenstock, nor the French luxury house Hermes, the MSCHF websites invites enquires to purchase the shoes.

Due to the very limited number made – there are supposedly just ten pairs – any would-be buyer must submit a letter of intention to the website, such as customers for the Hermes bags, with prices ranging from $34,000 to $76,000, depending on size.

New York company MSCHF show a deconstructed Birkin bag next to their 'Birkinstock' shoes, made out of the Hermes bag. Courtesy MSCHF
New York company MSCHF show a deconstructed Birkin bag next to their 'Birkinstock' shoes, made out of the Hermes bag. Courtesy MSCHF

Each shoe comes with a description of the Birkin bag that was destroyed to make it. For example, a white pair was made from a size 35 Hermes Nile crocodile bag that cost $35,000, while a pair in rich chocolate came from a Porosus crocodile bag, also size 35, worth $48,000.

MSCHF bought $122,500 worth of original Birkin bags for this project. After first experimenting on fake versions, it approached New York leather work companies to deconstruct and then cut up the Hermes original. Apparently appalled, the first tranche of companies all refused.

Created in 1984 for the actress Jane Birkin when she complained she couldn't find the right bag size, the Birkin bag is today as famous for its ability to increase in value as for its shape. Regarded as a better investment than gold, Birkins accrue an average of 14 per cent in value per year, and hold records for the most expensive bags sold at auction.

Explaining the project, MSCHF asks: "Ever mis-spell something and then realise you actually got it right? Birkinstocks are the most exclusive sandal ever made. All leather is sourced from genuine Birkin bags."

It continues, “materials derive value from their place in history and culture. Historically we make luxury objects out of inherently valuable materials. Gold and jewels are perennial favorites, but rare speaks a language of its own. Today, Birkin bags appreciate with an average 14 per cent annual return, consistently beating the S&P 500 – by this metric, just as gold, though shiny, is no longer the basis of currency, we can look to the Birkin bag itself as the new luxury raw material par excellence.”

While the thought of destroying something so valuable will jar many, it is nothing new for MSCHF. Taking a shot at the art industry, it bought a Damien Hirst dot painting in May 2020, which it promptly cut up into the individual dots, to sell one by one. Then there was the Jesus Shoes' project, where the air midsole of Air Max 97's was filled with Holy Water. Both projects sold out in minutes.

Also in 2020, it created three, six-foot-high, hand-painted US medical bills as art pieces, before selling them to an art gallery for $73,360. In a case of life imitating art, the money was reportedly used to settle people's outstanding medical bills.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

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