Allbirds combines performance and sustainability in its first running shoe

On Tuesday, April 28, the sustainable sneaker brand Allbirds is launching its first eco-friendly high performance running shoes, made from renewable materials with a reduced impact on the environment. The new Tree Dashers are available in four colors from Allbirds.com.

Respect for nature is a major preoccupation for San Francisco-based brand Allbirds. Following on from everyday sneakers, slip-ons, boat shoes, flats, and weather repellent shoes, which have all been developed from eco-friendly materials, the brand has now extended its offering to include Tree Dasher high-performance running shoes.

Tested over thousands of kilometers by some 50 athletes, the shoes stand out not only for their environmentally friendly materials and production process, but also for their performance-based properties: breathability, cooling, cushioning, stabilization, comfort, and durability.

As to the details, Tree Dashers are made with uppers in Tencel Lyocell, an environmentally friendly material renowned for its breathability and durability, anti-microbial merino wool lining, midsoles in SweetFoam, a material derived from sugar cane, and insoles in a foam made from castor bean oil. All of these innovative green solutions have enabled the brand to considerably reduce the shoes' carbon footprint.

On the issue of emissions, Allbirds has announced that it will soon be labeling all of its shoes to clearly display their carbon footprint. This initiative has already begun with the "Dasher," which is provided with a carbon footprint label that takes into account measurements for raw materials, manufacturing and the shoes' end of life. Having added together figures for all of these, the brand estimates that each pair of the new running shoes  will have a carbon footprint of nine kilograms.

For the launch, Tree Dashers, which are priced at US$125, are available in four limited edition shades -- Cyclone, Flame, Geyser and Thunder. The shoes can be obtained from Allbirds' stores and the brand's online shop.