Aug 13 (Reuters) - Birkenstock ( BIRK ) raised its full-year sales growth forecast on Wednesday, banking on resilient full-price demand for its premium sandals from affluent shoppers.

Shares of the German sandal maker were up 7% in premarket trading.

A pullback in U.S. discretionary spending has weighed on much of the apparel and footwear sector, but brands such as Birkenstock ( BIRK ) catering to wealthier consumers have largely held up, benefiting from strong pricing power and brand loyalty.

While the Middle East conflict continues to create uncertainty in the Gulf Region, the impact on the quarter was more contained than initially anticipated, the company said.

It now expects fiscal year 2026 revenue growth of 15% on a constant currency basis, compared with its earlier forecast of a 13% to 15% rise.

The company posted third-quarter revenue of 719.5 million euros ($829.08 million), compared with analysts' estimate of 713.4 million euros, according to data compiled by LSEG.

($1 = 0.8678 euros)

(Reporting by Sanskriti Shekhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala and Devika Syamnath)