Free Republic

Shares in Birkenstock plunged 9% Thursday after the German shoe retailer warned tariffs will likely weigh heavily on its profit margins. The company – known for its chunky cork sandals – said it expects its annual gross margins will drop by a full percentage point due to US tariffs in the new fiscal year, which runs through Sept. 30, 2026. Birkenstock, which listed in New York in 2023, still operates the majority of its production in Germany – leaving it exposed to the Trump administration’s 15% tariff on the European Union, which it reached after a trade deal with the...

LOVED by hippies and Hollywood stars alike, Birkenstock sandals are now at the centre of a multi-billion-dollar battle between the firm's heir and his wife.At stake is the name of the company which sells 40,000 pairs of the no-nonsense shoes every day of the year. Fans include Leonardo DiCaprio, Gwyneth Paltrow and Johnny Depp. Susanne Papenbrock, 34, is divorcing the firm's heir, Christian Birkenstock, after a 15-year marriage and wants to take the company name with her. Newspapers have dubbed the divorce fight "Dallas on the Rhine". Ms Papenbrock, who walked out of the River Rhine castle she shared with...