Allbirds, Inc. is a San Francisco, California-based direct-to-consumer startup focused on designing environmentally-friendly footwear. It was founded in 2016 by Tim Brown, a former professional soccer player, and Joey Zwillinger, an engineer and renewables expert, with the aim of creating comfortable, sustainable shoes. The company's name, "Allbirds," is a reference to New Zealand’s diverse bird population, the native country of Tim Brown, and a nod to their aspiration to make products that are as simple and uncomplicated as birds' nests.
Allbirds' first shoe, the Wool Runner, is made from superfine merino wool sourced from New Zealand. The wool is turned into a fabric in Italy, and then the shoes are assembled in South Korea. This maiden product gave Allbirds the confidence to explore other sustainable materials, as they believe comfort, aesthetics, and sustainability should not be mutually exclusive. Their product range has since expanded to include Wool Loungers, Tree Runners and Sugar Flip Flops, all with unique sustainable materials like Tencel (from eucalyptus trees) and SweetFoam (made from Brazilian sugarcane).
One standout feature of Allbirds shoes is the company's commitment to displaying the carbon footprint of all its products, effectively leading the footwear industry in transparency. It believes that customers should be aware of the environmental impact of their purchases and aims to reach 0 net carbon for every product it produces.
In addition to footwear, Allbirds has ventured into the apparel market as well since 2020. The clothing line includes items like sweaters, cardigans, jackets and t-shirts, made from the same high-quality, low-impact materials as their shoes.
Allbirds has experienced exponential growth in a relatively short period, from an online-only retailer to 27 brick-and-mortar stores worldwide. Since its inception, the company has raised millions in venture capital funding and counts some of Hollywood's biggest names like Leonardo DiCaprio among its investors.
Allbirds, Inc., with its B Corp certification, is not just a footwear company. It presents itself as an ethical, innovative enterprise that advocates for transparency and harnesses natural materials to produce products that do less harm to our planet. Their mantra, "We are all in this together," serves as a reflection of their eco-conscious brand ethos.