I wanted something I can use for walking around town or on city breaks, but that would also work for shorter runs when I am away on holiday - hate taking an extra pair of runners when I travel! Saw these on Instagram and nearly got them previously, but I was nervous buying shoes online without trying them. But I got the chance in Berlin, and they were every bit as comfortable as I hoped. I’ll be getting others soon!
Our goals for December 2025
- 75% sustainably sourced natural and recycled materials
- Reduce the CO2 footprint of raw materials by 25%
- Use 25% less raw materials for shoes and clothing
- Double the lifespan of shoes and clothing
Why this is important to us
Approximately 57% of shoes and 64% of clothing are made from synthetic materials. The problem with these synthetic materials? They are made of plastic. Plastic is made from petroleum. And petroleum is a fossil fuel that drives climate change. There's something else that makes you wonder when it comes to fashion and fossil fuels: these materials weren't even used very much by our industry until the 1980s. And yet we are dependent on them today. This dependence on fossil fuels is accelerating climate change, which has a negative impact on waste, biodiversity and other things. So we need to get back to renewable, natural materials.
What we do exactly
From day one, we wanted to replace petroleum-based, synthetic materials with natural alternatives wherever possible. And when we couldn't find suitable alternatives, we simply developed them ourselves (e.g. SweetFoam®, our shoe sole material made with the world's first CO2-negative, environmentally friendly EVA) or invested in innovative solutions (e.g. Plant Leather, our 100% natural, plant-based leather). But of course, all of this comes with challenges. To improve the durability of our products, we use recycled plastics to reinforce the natural materials where necessary. We are also working on innovations around the performance and longer life of natural materials. In addition, we are aware of two things: the amount of materials we use should be reduced to create more environmentally friendly products from the ground up. We are therefore working on new packaging and on avoiding production waste. And in the spirit of "fewer but better things", we should work towards using products for longer. That's why we continue to think about how we can give our products a new life when you no longer need them.
The Allbirds philosophy
Comfortably through the day
Light, springy and really comfortable - with Allbirds shoes you can get through everyday life effortlessly. Simply slip them on in seconds and enjoy the comfort.
Sustainable with every step
From materials to transportation, we are working to reduce our carbon footprint to zero. Because we are responsible now and must achieve our climate targets now - not in 30 years' time.
Materials from nature
Wherever possible, we replace petroleum-based plastics with natural alternatives. These include wool, eucalyptus fibers and sugar cane. And because these materials are soft, airy and environmentally friendly, it's a real win-win situation.