Chipotle founder Steve Ells, a Birkenstock-wearing 34-year-old gourmet cook, couldn't be happier with his newfound clout.

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Brands historically known for comfortable functional footwear include Ecco, Birkenstock, Mephisto, Born and Clarks.

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High-end retailers, many of whom associate vegan wear with a Birkenstock crowd, were even more dismissive than the cobblers.

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Then things really got serious and someone slashed every tire on my parents' Volvo, and once, in a fit of anger or grief, someone hurled a Birkenstock through one of our bay windows.

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Inspired by the idea of a big natural foods supermarket that could provide one-stop shopping to the Birkenstock crowd, Mackey hooked up with two partners in 1980 to open the first 10, 000-square-foot Whole Foods Market, also in Austin.

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