For 35 years, Birkenstock lovers nationwide have sent worn-down shoes to this Kansas cobblery

Mick Ranney started selling and repairing Birkenstocks in Lawrence, Kansas, decades ago. The brand's popularity has ebbed and flowed — although its current wave of fashion cred is proving more enduring than any before. Throughout it all, Ranney has stayed a "true believer" in shoes worth fixing.
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For anyone who's spent time in Lawrence, Kansas, a big yellow awning with a giant footprint serves as an unofficial landmark of sorts. Heading north on Massachusetts Street after taking the Lawrence exit from K-10, the overhang essentially functions as a "welcome to downtown" sign, marking the exact spot where the lively strip of retail and restaurants begins.