Birkenstock became even more popular when its shoes appeared in a Barbie movie. This led to a big increase in demand for their products. Last year, the company sold 30 million pairs of shoes, even though some people still think they don't look very nice. Now that the company is going public, investors are wondering if Birkenstock can keep growing and if being a public company will help or hurt the brand. The IPO allowed a private equity firm called L Catterton to make almost $1.5 billion. However, Birkenstock still owns 80% of the company, which shows that they believe in its future success.

Some customers are worried that going public might make the quality of Birkenstock shoes worse and make the brand less special. But experts say that Birkenstock has done a good job of making people want their shoes by collaborating with fashion designers and making them in different colors and materials. Going public doesn't guarantee success, but Birkenstock has already made some big changes, like getting new leaders and getting support from L Catterton. So, listing the company on the stock market seems like a natural next step.

Birkenstock is following in the footsteps of other shoe and fashion companies that have gone public. Some of them have done well, while others haven't. For example, Crocs has grown a lot since it went public in 2006. Even though investors are being careful, many people think that Birkenstock will stay popular as long as their shoes stay comfortable. The success of the IPO and the company's future growth will depend on how Birkenstock handles the challenges of being a public company.

Original news source: Birkenstock: Once-uncool sandal maker now worth billions (BBC)

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a list of vocabulary words related to the article (e.g. Birkenstock, IPO, fashion, collaboration). One student from each group will act out one of the words without speaking, while the other students in the group try to guess what word it is.
– News Summary
Instructions: Have the students work in pairs. Each pair will take turns summarizing the main points of the article to their partner in their own words. Encourage them to include key details and use their own opinions or examples to support their summary.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a set of statements related to the article (e.g. "I would invest in Birkenstock", "I think going public will hurt the brand"). Have the students walk around the classroom and ask their classmates for their opinions on each statement. They should record their classmates' responses and be prepared to share the results with the class.
– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into two groups. Assign one group the task of listing the pros of Birkenstock going public, and the other group the task of listing the cons. Give the groups a few minutes to brainstorm and then have them share their lists with the class. Encourage discussion and debate about the different points raised.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Have the students work in pairs or small groups. Ask them to think about and discuss what they think will happen to Birkenstock in the future as a result of going public. They should consider factors such as customer perception, market competition, and company growth. Each group should present their predictions to the class and explain their reasoning.

German sandal maker Birkenstock recently had its initial public offering (IPO) on Wall Street. This ? that the ? sold shares to the public for the first time. The shares were priced at $46 each, which valued the company at around $8.6 billion. However, when the shares ? trading, their price went down, which made people unsure about the company's ? growth. Despite this, Birkenstock has come a long way since it started as a small shoe maker in the 18th century. It became popular among fashion-conscious people, especially after supermodel Kate Moss endorsed the brand in the 1990s. In recent years, Birkenstock has gained a lot of fans because of its comfortable shoes, collaborations with fashion ?, and celebrities wearing their products. Birkenstock became even more popular when its shoes appeared in a Barbie movie. This led to a big increase in demand for their products. Last year, the company sold 30 million pairs of shoes, even though some people still ? they don't look very nice. Now that the company is going public, ? are ? if Birkenstock can keep growing and if being a public company will help or hurt the brand. The IPO allowed a private equity firm called L ? to make almost $1.5 billion. However, Birkenstock still owns 80% of the company, which shows that they believe in its future success. Some customers are worried that going public might make the quality of Birkenstock shoes ? and make the brand less special. But experts say that Birkenstock has done a good job of making ? want their shoes by collaborating with fashion designers and making them in different colors and materials. Going public doesn't ? success, but Birkenstock has already made some big changes, like getting new leaders and getting support from L Catterton. So, listing the company on the ? market ? like a natural next step. Birkenstock is following in the footsteps of other shoe and ? companies that have gone public. Some of them have done well, while others haven't. For example, Crocs has ? a lot since it went public in 2006. Even though investors are being careful, many people think that Birkenstock will stay popular as long as their shoes stay comfortable. The success of the IPO and the company's future growth will depend on how Birkenstock handles the challenges of being a public company.

1. What is an initial public offering (IPO) and why is it important for a company?
2. How would you feel if you owned shares in a company and the share price went down after the IPO? Why?
3. Do you like Birkenstock shoes? Why or why not?
4. What do you think about fashion designers collaborating with shoe brands like Birkenstock? Why?
5. How do you think appearing in a Barbie movie helped increase the demand for Birkenstock shoes? Why?
6. Do you think going public will help or hurt the Birkenstock brand? Why or why not?
7. Why are some customers worried that going public might make the quality of Birkenstock shoes worse?
8. What do you think about Birkenstock collaborating with fashion designers to make their shoes in different colors and materials? Why?
9. How do you think getting new leaders and support from L Catterton will help Birkenstock as a public company? Why?
10. Can you think of any other shoe or fashion companies that have gone public? How have they performed?
11. How important is comfort when choosing a pair of shoes for you? Why?
12. Do you think Birkenstock will stay popular in the future? Why or why not?
13. How do you think being a public company will benefit or challenge Birkenstock's future growth?
14. What challenges do you think Birkenstock might face as a public company? Why?
15. Why do you think some people still think Birkenstock shoes don't look very nice, despite their popularity?

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