Not just for the crunchy crowd (Meindert Arnold Jacob)
Germany
How Birkenstocks Became Hip
They used to be the eco-shoe par excellence, footwear of choice for the 'No Nukes' crowd. But now that green has gone mainstream – so have Birkenstocks. The cork-rubber-and-leather German sandals known more for comfort than their good lo
Not just for the crunchy crowd (Meindert Arnold Jacob)
October 07, 2011
Worldcrunch *NEWSBITES
BERLIN - "No smoke. No mirrors. No gizmos. You walk, the shoe molds to your foot. You feel good. We feel good. That's the deal," says the Birkenstock USA website, which pretty much sums up wearer experience of the iconic brand.
If the comfort factor remains unchanged, what has been evolving since the 1990s is the look and perception of the shoes. Although traditional Birkenstocks are still beloved by medical personnel and physiotherapists, ever trendier models have become the stuff of catwalks, grace the feet of celebs like actress Gwyneth Paltrow, and have even been included in goodie bags handed out at the Oscars.
The "Birkenstock styled by Heidi Klum" range designed by the German top model, which features bright patterns and colors decorated with rhinestones, contributes in no small measure to the sandals' newfound glamorous image.
The Birkenstock name goes back to Johann Adam Birkenstock who produced footwear in Germany as far back as 1774. But it wasn't until some 100 years later that the company he founded developed the orthopedic formula that made its name.
Read the full article in German by Caroline Turzer
photo - Meindert Arnold Jacob
*Newsbites are digest items, not direct translations
You've reached your limit of free articles.
To read the full story, start your free trial today.
Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.
Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.
Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.
Already a subscriber? Log in
FOCUS: Russia-Ukraine War
Ukrainians In Occupied Territories Are Being Forced To Get Russian Passports
Reports have emerged of children, retirees, and workers being forced by the Russian military and occupying administration to obtain Russian Federation passports, or face prison, beating or loss of public benefits.
Russian passport
Iryna Gamaliy
March 20, 2023
It's referred to as: "forced passportization." Reports are accumulating of police and local authorities in the Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine requiring that locals obtain Russian passports. Now new evidence has emerged that Ukrainians are indeed being coerced into changing their citizenship, or risk retribution from occupying authorities.
Stay up-to-date with the latest on the Russia-Ukraine war, with our exclusive international coverage.
Sign up to our free daily newsletter.Ever since late September, when President Vladimir Putin announced Russia hadd unilaterally annexed four regions in eastern and southern Ukraine (Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson), Moscow has been seeking ways to legitimize the unrecognized annexation. The spreading of Russian passports is seen as an attempt to demonstrate that there is support among the Ukrainian population to be part of Russia.
Ukrainian military sources report Monday that locals in Kherson are threatened with imprisonment, beatings, or denial of social benefits or wages if they don't have a Russian passport at the checkpoints set up by the Russian military.
Children and elderly targeted
Meanwhile, in the occupied part of the Luhansk region, Russians are creating conditions for expediting the issuance of Russian passports to Ukrainian citizens, including minor children.
An application for termination of citizenship for a child under the age of 14 can be submitted.
"According to the recently adopted law, an application for termination of citizenship for a child under the age of 14 can be submitted by one of the parents, the sole parent, or the adoptive parent," the Luhansk Regional Military Administration reports.
For children left without parental care, mainly those permanently in an educational or medical organization providing social services, the application is submitted by a guardian or an authorized representative of such an institution without regard to the child's opinion.
In addition, elderly are forced to obtain Russian passports in order to collect their pension benefits.
"Since March, pensions have been recalculated in the territory," the pro-Russian administration announced. "A person can apply to the relevant authorities only with a Russian passport registered in the region. Passports of Ukraine ... are not accepted. If you do not have time to get a new piece of paper, you cannot wait for the recalculation."
Also, in the occupied city of Melitopol in the Zaporizhzhia region, the occupation forced have banned social services payments to residents who refuse to obtain a Russian passport.
From Your Site Articles
- Is Kyiv Ready To Risk Taking War Into Russian Territory? ›
- And Now Moscow, About All Those Russian-Speaking Ukrainians? ›
- Inside Russia’s Revival Of Stalinist “Filtration Camps” ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Keep reading...Show less
You've reached your limit of free articles.
To read the full story, start your free trial today.
Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.
Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.
Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.
Already a subscriber? Log in