Sustainable sneakers brand Allbirds launches children’s line in Europe
Nicola Mira
US sustainable sneakers brand Allbirds
In the USA, Allbirds has been dropping the occasional children’s model since 2017, but the collection became a permanent one in July.
“This summer, due to high demand, we have relaunched our Smallbirds children’s line with new looks, creating an extended permanent collection that enables us to cover the toddler segment too,” said Joey Zwillinger, co-founder of Allbirds, speaking on August 8 at the publication of the brand’s Q2 results.
In Europe, however, the Smallbirds collection, available on the allbirds.eu site launched in June 2019 in 12 European countries, features sizes 22 to 28 (UK sizes 5 to 10) only, all items priced at €65.
The model commercialised in Europe is Wool Runners, one of the brand’s best-sellers. They are made using ZQ merino wool, well-known for being breathable and odour-free. According to Allbirds, the production process uses 60% less energy than shoes made with traditional synthetic materials. The outsole is made with SweetFoam, Allbirds’s exclusive sugar cane-derived foam.
Allbirds was founded in 2016 by former pro athlete Tim Brown and Joey Zwillinger, an engineer expert in renewable materials. The brand is now present in 35 countries. It was listed on the New York Stock Exchange at the end of 2021, and in Q2 2022 it recorded sales of $78.2 million, up 15%.
Allbirds operates 46 stores in the USA, and has shops in China, Canada and Germany too. It is expected to open 17 new stores by the end of the year.
