The popular footwear store Simply Birkenstock is moving to a new location in downtown Concord.

Now located near the intersection of South Main Street and Pleasant Street next to Pitchfork Records, the new storefront will be opening about a block away at the longtime North Main Street site of Concord Photo Services, which closed in the spring.

“There’s not enough space here, we’ve outgrown our space,” said Simply Birkenstock employee Adam Sloat of the South Main Street location. “We’ll have more than twice the space and we are hoping it’s a busier location.”

Though the store doesn’t have an opening date set, renovations are underway and Sloat hopes it will be open soon.

“Business is booming and we are very fortunate to have a very loyal following,” Sloat said of the store’s customer base.

The Birkenstock shoe brand was founded in 1774 in Germany and quickly gained popularity due to the comfort and support of the shoes. They were a staple during World War I and in the medical community.

By 1966, the brand had made its way to the American market, especially in New England and Seattle.

With the additional space on North Main Street, employees hope to add more variety to their outdoor offerings and bring in more inventory of their most popular products, most notably Birkenstock shoes, hiking boots and hats, said Sloat, who commented that their store is the unofficial hat store of Concord.

Sharing the South Main Street property with Simply Birkenstock is United Shoe Repair, a full-service cobbler that has been operating in the city for 113 years through four generations that began with Italian immigrants.

“We are taking a little bit more of the space and subletting the rest to a makers market, which will be high-end, hand-made goods done by leather workers,” said owner DJ Annicchiarico. “It will be nice to have more space and freedom about how it’s laid out and I can have my own vision, which I like.”

Commenting on the bustle of the business, he continued that when the economy faces challenges, like it has over the last several years, his business gets busier because people want to make their belongings last.

Annicchiarico remains cautiously optimistic that the expansion will bring more, and steadier, business, he said.

Though the Annicchiarico family has been operating in Concord over the last century, they did not move into the South Main Street location until Simply Birkenstock did 11 years ago.

“We moved here when they moved to town, like a combo maneuver,” Annicchiarico said.

“He’s an amazing resource and we’re always going to be attached to them. We’re like family,” Sloat said.

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