In Europe still rather unknown, in America very celebrated - the sneakers from Allbirds. Have you ever heard of this brand? Recently I became aware of Allbirds and as a result I started to deal with the brand and what is behind it. Sustainability and above all Mother Nature are important keywords here! These are exactly the things an Allbirds shoe stands for.
If you haven't quite followed me yet, that's no problem at all. But now there is some background information about Allbirds. Maybe the brand will spread and become as big in Europe as it already is in the USA.
Allbirds - the story behind the company
"Mother nature made us do it"
Allbirds
It all began with a simple question Tim Brown asked himself: Why is merino wool not used in the shoe industry when it is such a remarkable and sustainable resource? ? Tim started thinking around it. After some time of research, he decided to team up with Joey Zwillinger. Joey is an engineer and expert in renewable energy and together with Tim he created a completely new shoe segment - inspired by natural materials.
What have been the most important milestones of the boys so far? Zq Certified B Corp - this certificate is given to profit companies that find a good balance between profit and the company's real purpose. They also work together with Sole4Souls, a company that aims to donate lightly used Allbirds sneakers to communities in need. Another milestone was the use of recycled packaging and cartons.
Allbirds - these materials lead to a better world
"Mother Nature is our muse. Building on her handiwork, we’re finding new uses for materials that exist right in front of us. Like wool from merino sheep, who have the best hair in nature."
Allbirds
Materials like cement and wood? Well, not exactly… Merino wool fibres are 20% of the diameter of human hair. This makes the material breathable, temperature-regulating and moisture-transporting. They also use tree fibre-TENCEL™ Lyocell - not only is less fertilizer used here, but also 95% less water, since the raw materials do not depend on irrigation but on rainfall. Another raw material is sugar cane. From this the SweetFoam™ is made. This is also dependent on rainwater. The raw material grows fast and extracts carbon from the atmosphere. Last but not least there is Trino™ at Allbirds. This is made from eucalyptus tree fibres and a handful of merino wool. One thing is for sure: Everything is procured sustainably!
Sneakers of Allbirds - Sustainability is writ large here
The top priority is to reduce the carbon footprint of the products. This is achieved by using recycled and sustainable materials. On the other hand, the emission of everything is measured and if there is anything left over, the rest is compensated by carbon offsetting. This makes Allbirds a complete, climate neutral company! ♻
Can you imagine how big the carbon footprint of a normal sneaker is? It is 12.5 kg CO2e and the carbon footprint of Allbirds products is only 7.6 kg CO2e. This corresponds approximately to: Driving a car for 31 kilometres, drying 5 loads of laundry in a tumble dryer or even producing 22 chocolate bars.
No wonder that not only Barack Obama and other celebrities like Hugh Jackman and Ashton Kutcher go for these sneakers. And even Leonardo DiCaprio, who invested in the company, is an absolute fan of the Allbirds sneakers.
So, now you guys are probably excited about the Allbirds sneakers, right?
These are the sneakers from Allbirds
On one hand there is the 'Tree Runner' and on the other hand there is the 'Wool Runner'. The shoes are all rather plain. There are no superfluous details, just the sole, the upper and the laces. The color of the Allbirds sneakers looks similar. There are also mainly simple colors, such as gray, blue, black and white. But recently there are also some brighter colors like pink, old yellow or purple. Here you get a little insight:
Did the sneakers from Allbirds 'Head of Design' Jamie McLellan convince you? Then I can still teaser you a little something. They are just about to sit down with adidas on a sneaker that is supposed to have the smallest carbon footprint ever!
I'm curious what's going to happen in the near future. We will definitely keep you up to date in our Sneaker News. Until then, I wish you a nice rest of the week! ?