Allbirds is out to prove that it’s more than just those iconic fuzzy wool sneakers. By releasing the new and ambitious SuperLight shoe, a shoe that doesn’t contain the Strobel board- a traditional component of sneaker construction, the San Francisco-based company is currently facing slowing sales and a plummeting stock price- sending a message that they’re still as innovative as ever.
Thanks to key hires from Nike and Adidas, Allbirds has successfully expanded, forming an entire office in Portland, Oregon, just a stone’s throw away from these two titans of the industry. In the past few months, Allbirds has released many innovative products, such as the Riser, the Pacer, and their revolutionary zero carbon sneakers, leading up to the SuperLight.
This much-needed product refresh coincides with the company being pinpointed for its failure to keep up with fashion trends- Allbirds shoes often being associated with the Silicon Valley culture, however, as of late, tech bros have moved on to brands such as Rothy’s and On.
Two key players behind this product innovation is Jad Finck, the Vice President of Innovation and Sustainability and Ashley Comeaux, the Vice President of Product Design; both of these professionals have extensive footwear experience. Ann Freeman, who used to run North America for Nike, has gone on to join the Allbirds board, and Eric Sprunk, Nike’s former Chief Operating Officer, is serving as an advisor for the company.
The iconic Wool Runner, released by Allbirds in 2016, still stands as one of the most celebrated ‘hero products’ of the year, being acclaimed by the likes of Time Magazine, which named it the World’s Most Comfortable Shoe. Even former President Barack Obama was among Allbird’s earliest fans.
Allbirds has also successfully gained the attention of multiple Insider journalists when testing the Riser and Pacer shoes, both gaining positive reviews. The Riser has been described as having ‘retro appeal’ whereas the Pacer is a perfectly elegant lifestyle shoe, both completely revolutionizing the Allbirds brand while staying true to the company’s goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions.
With the future of the company on the line, it’s important to see the impact of the past few months come alive and help ignite the Allbirds legacy anew.
