Birkenstock & Valentino Have Come Together Again — & This Time, It's With This Controversial Print For Fall

For Creative Director Pierpaolo Piccoli, Valentino is all about freedom. The freedom to think, dress, and live as its wearer pleases — and all the brand's silhouettes, from couture to ready-to-wear, share that same essence. So, when Birkenstock, the fashion pack's easy, wear-everywhere shoe, first collaborated with the Italian fashion house in Jan. 2019, fans relished the chance to dress up and down at the same time. Now, the two have come together once again, expanding on their trove of updated Arizona sandals in a totally new way. The Birkenstock x Valentino collaboration's second installment dresses the "VLTN"-stamped shoes in an all-new pattern for the first time.

The drop features three distinct styles, all of which share a blown-up, camouflage macro-print in different shades. The first is a classic camo print in muted tones — hunter green, soil, and black, all of which pop against the fashion house's white "VLTN" logo. The following styles are remixed with punchier taupe and slime green shades, creating contrast from within the print. All three color-ways wield the Arizona sandal's classic buckles in black metallic hardware, as well as a black leather footbed that's borrowed from the duo's first drop. All in all, the shoe is primed for slipping into through late summer days, and styling with tonally synced socks come fall.

The '80s-centric camouflage print trend has caught fire over recent seasons — thanks to a growing roster of designers that have embraced the pattern. Valentino's Menswear Spring/Summer 2020 collection featured tons of camo-soaked shirts, backpacks, and sneakers, which this drop carries over to womenswear with the unisex sandal. If you have any doubts about the print's staying power, not to worry — camouflage is all but disappearing over the coming months, thanks to fall collections from the likes of Heron Preston and R13. The silhouette is even more sure to endure over time, judging by the endless trove of celebrities wearing Birkenstocks for years now.

Starting on Sep. 3, two of three styles become available for the taking (the third army green-poudre color-way arrives the following week, on Sep. 15). All are shoppable through Birkenstock and Valentino's sites — so be sure to mark your calendars for its arrival. Until then, browse the duo's first drop:

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