My Mother embroidered the oak tree quote, framed it, and hung it on her bedroom wall. It was a daily reminder to maintain patience and a positive attitude. Cork oak trees can live up to 200 years. It takes 43 years to become mature enough to produce cork good enough to make cork stoppers for wine bottles. After that the tree can be harvested every 9 years. The Portuguese have a saying: "If you want to make a business for your grandchildren, plant cork trees."
Roman Legions marched to the ends of their empire wearing cork footbed sandals. When Thomas Jefferson returned from France with his recipe for vanilla ice cream, he also brought several cork oak seedlings. From cork stoppers for wine bottles to insulation on spaceships, cork is one of nature's wonders. Cork is the basis of the Birkenstocks we sell at Footprints.
Footprints began as a bicycle store. Long ago, a friend suggested Birkenstocks might sell well in the bike shop. One winter I was bicycling up the west coast in Oregon. I pedaled by a stained-glass art studio, which also sold Birkenstock sandals in Corvallis. Back then you didn't really find Birkenstock sandals in traditional shoe stores. I then bicycled onto Eugene and visited a Birkenstock store, which just so happened to be run by the former new accounts' rep for Birkenstock. He gave me the lowdown on becoming a dealer. I then visited the Birkenstock distributorship in Marin County, north of San Francisco. I showed up in my bicycle clothing. My panniers didn't allow for much in the way of a varied wardrobe. Margot Fraser, the owner of the Birkenstock U.S. distributorship, took me to lunch. We had a long chat about how wonderful Birkenstock was. The course of my life was altered after that lunch.
Margot Fraser
About that time, Margot Fraser sent Dee, who ran the stained-glass art studio in Corvallis, a couple of cork oak tree stumps to be used as sandal pedestals in her store. Margot was a fabulous CEO and lady. She created a network of independently owned Birkenstock concept stores. She held annual gatherings where all of us dealers would gather, be enthused and become friends with a common purpose. That is how Dee and I became friends. Dee recently retired after expanding her store to several locations. She was one of our strongest competitors. She generously gave us the cork tree stumps which Margot had given to her. Decades later, those tree stumps are still doing their job of helping explain how fabulous Birkenstock sandals are. Those stumps are a link to Margot, Dee, and the very beginnings of our store. They are much appreciated. Thank you, Dee and Margot!
Take a walk with Birkenstock.
