Would Buy: Allbirds
With so many “influencers” relying on affiliate programs nowadays, I find it hard to find relatively unbiased product reviews. I have therefore decided to start my ‘Would Buy’ series where I recommend brands and products based on personal (positive) experiences.
Before we kick off, I would like to highlight the following key points:
· I would only write about a product or a brand here if I would be comfortable recommending it to my close friends and family.
· I do not receive referral income nor have a vested interest in any shape or form.
· I am not paid to write these articles and the views expressed are strictly my own.
I hope you discover a brand/product you like!
In addition to its astounding nature (and great Lord of the Rings scenes), manuka honey, and world-class rugby, New Zealand is also famous for its high-quality wool. In fact, New Zealand is the world’s third-largest wool exporter, together with China and Australia. An interesting fact about New Zealand wool is that it tends to be thicker and coarser relative to its Australian counterpart due to the climate and topographical differences.
Founded in 2016 after raising more than USD 100,000 on Kickstarter in 5 days, Allbirds is a New Zealand company that gained significant popularity in the “tech bro” community 3–4 years ago. Co-founders Tim Brown, a former professional football player, and Joey Zwillinger, a biotech engineer, dedicated a considerable amount of time to the creation of a comfortable wool sneaker boasting a clean design and use of sustainable materials.
The AMA on Reddit with Joey reveals some interesting details:
· Allbirds has invested in a company called Natural Fiber Welding which has created the world’s first 100% nature, plant-based leather (Plant Leather; see MIRUM®) promising to greatly slash production process emissions compared to bovine leather, as well as outlast it and require no plastic additives.
· The founders picked the name Allbirds because when New Zealand was first discovered by humans, there were no mammals, and it was all birds.
· For the top parts of the shoes (the “uppers”), lab testing is performed at the yarn level, and then the fabric level to measure stretch and rebound, as well as simulating a person running or walking for thousands of miles to “accelerate” a wear test (on top of real-world tests, of course).
Sustainability
As a certified B Corporation, Allbirds meets certain social and environmental performance standards, such as social responsibility, worker impact, and community engagement.
Beyond Allbirds’ supplier code of conduct, the company undertakes social and environmental audits of the factories it works with, including confidential worker interviews, review of documentation and records, and visual inspection of safety conditions. According to the company’s website, such audits are conducted against international labour standards and local law.
I like the company’s transparency and 5-year to-do list commitment to reduce emissions by 50% by 2025. Two years in, Allbirds state they are at more than 60% of the way!
My Observations
I am still regularly wearing my first pair of Wool Runners I bought more than 3 years ago, and they have held up extremely well. I have worn them in a variety of climates, at work, and at serious parties, and tend to wash them relatively frequently.
The ability to throw most of the Allbirds pairs into the washing machine without ruining them is also a huge plus (just make sure to remove the insoles).
Allbirds may no longer be the dominant Silicon Valley shoe brand and may have lost some momentum since 2022, with Tim Brown also stepping down as co-CEO in May 2023, but it remains on my ‘would buy’ list due to the comfort and clean design it offers.
Shoes are a very individual item and if in doubt, make use of Allbirds’ 30-day trial period — they allow you to return or exchange your shoes “for free with no questions asked”.
Happy strolling!
