Style and comfort are rarely used together to describe cutting-edge fashion, however entrepreneur and co-founder of Allbirds shoes Tim Brown begs to differ.
His vision of a minimalist line of runners made from eco-friendly materials is refreshing in an otherwise logo-filled sea of synthetic footwear. The creations, which are fast becoming a go-to shoe for Barack Obama, Emma Watson Oprah Winfrey and Mila Kunis are made from sustainable materials like Merino wool from New Zealand and eucalyptus fibre with textured laces made with recycled post-consumer materials such as plastic bottles.
“We’ve made an equivalent product [to other shoe manufacturers], but in a better way environmentally, that’s our brand, our the mission and a non-negotiable for us,’’ he says.
It began on the soccer field in 2008 when Tim, then a professional football player for the Newcastle Jets in NSW, began to realise his never-ending supply of sneakers from his sponsor was “totally unnecessary”.
“The thinking behind Allbirds was it would be innovative to do nothing; to strip back a shoe and create something simple and natural. Sometimes innovation is about taking things away,’’ he says.
“We saw an opportunity to innovate by using natural materials and in doing so create a simple shoe that’s more comfortable. People don’t buy sustainability, they buy good products and that is what we hope we are achieving.’’
