Lock, Birkenstock, and Two Smoking Sandals

“When Christian Birkenstock hired Reichert in 2009, the family business was in disarray, with stagnating sales and no coherent plan for the future. After their domineering father, Karl, stepped back years earlier, Christian and Alex—then in their late 30s and early 40s, respectively—began fighting with their older brother, Stephan, for creative control. It had been more than a decade since the public had fawned over Birkenstocks, and suddenly upstarts such as Crocs were jolting a category long relegated to stoners, geriatrics and German tourists.” But it turns out a 250 year-old company can learn new tricks (with the help of a new CEO and an IPO). Bloomberg (Gift Article): The Ballad of Birkenstock. It’s remarkable the extent to which this brand identity has changed over the years. My son is wearing his right now.