Is Betula licensed by Birkenstock?

I just bought a pair of Betula sandals (Zara slides) and I noticed that they are made in China. I was shocked because on the soles of the shoe it says “Betula, Licensed by Birkenstock.” I was under the impression that all Birkenstock shoes are made in Germany. I did some poking around on google and read in an Amazon review that Betula is NOT licensed by Birkenstock anymore since they have moved their production to China, and the quality of Betula shoes has signficantly decreased. There is no mention of Birkenstock licensing on the Betula website. (www.betula.de)

So what’s the deal? Is Betula still affiliated with/licensed by Birkenstock? Are my shoes knock offs? Can someone clear this up for me?

Thanks
-Confused Hippie

Tags: Betula, Birkenstock, Licensed