Happy Birthday Allbirds.
In honor of Allbirds’ 5th year, the footwear brand has debuted a fluffy take on its Wool Runner silhouette. Called the Wool Runner Fluff, the cozy sneaker features soft wool uppers made from the brand’s ZQ Merino wool. Additionally, the shoe features a sugarcane midsole designed to contour to the shape of your foot.
Adding extra comfort, the shoes are equipped with a castor bean insole that wicks away moisture, and according to the brand, makes it “feel as though you’re walking on a cloud.”
Like all of Allbirds shoes, the Wool Runner Fluff is eco-friendly. The new style is carbon neutral, which the brand says is a result of a “combination of sustainable practices.” What’s more, its laces are made from post-consumer recycled polyester.
In terms of upkeep, the Wool Runner Fluff is machine washable. The limited edition style is currently available at Allbirds.com for $95.
Allbirds’ latest drop comes after the company announced in February that it’s getting into plant leather. The brand shared that the company made a $2 million investment in Natural Fiber Welding Inc., a material innovation firm, to bring what it describes as the world’s first “100% natural plant-based leather alternative” to Allbirds’ suite of open-source eco-materials.
“For too long, fashion companies have relied on dirty synthetics and unsustainable leather, prioritizing speed and cost over the environment,” said Joey Zwillinger, co-founder and co-CEO of Allbirds, in a press release. “Natural Fiber Welding is creating scalable, sustainable antidotes to leather, and doing so with the potential for a game-changing 98% reduction in carbon emissions. Our partnership with NFW and planned introduction of plant leather based on their technology is an exciting step on our journey to eradicate petroleum from the fashion industry.”
Allbirds’ plant leather is made with vegetable oil, natural rubber and other bio-ingredients, according to the companies. This ultimately means that the plant leather has as much as “40 times less carbon impact” than leather and “17 times less carbon” than synthetic leather made from plastic.
