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Allbirds: first, you walk. Then you live long and healthy.
By
Published: Feb 25, 2021
Category:
Clothing
Walking is almost the best possible thing you can do for your health. Back in the late 1940s and early 1950s, a British epidemiologist found that British bus conductors, who spent their days in the aisles and steps on double-decker buses, were half as likely to have a heart attack as the buses’ drivers, who sat all day. As a New York Times article about the benefits of moving my body on a regular basis put it, bluntly enough to get anyone’s attention:
If you want a healthy heart, the more you exercise, the better, according to an encouraging new study of the links between physical activity and cardiovascular disease. It finds that people who often exercise and stay active are much less likely to develop heart disease than people who rarely move, whether that exercise consists of a few minutes a day of jogging or multiple hours a week of walking.
The Times advisory has been updated. Now 4,000 steps are considered sufficient for heart health.
Sound body, sound mind. The testimonials to walking are endless.
Rousseau: “I can only meditate when I am walking. When I stop, I cease to think; my mind only works with my legs.”
Kierkegaard: “I have walked myself into my best thoughts and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it.”
Wordsworth walked 14 miles a day, Dickens even more.
Thoreau measured his walks in time: “four hours a day at least.”
Why, of all the legendary brands, do I swoon for Allbirds? Weightless, but with good support. Tops made from “FSC® Certified eucalyptus trees” — they breathe. Like all Allbirds shoes, ecological correctness is exponential: “the world’s first carbon negative green EVA, so you’re literally reducing your carbon footprint wearing them.” Translation: Allbirds are made from knit wool and castor bean oil. Add gender nullification: The two primary styles are unisex. I started with the “everyday” shoe, the Tree Runner. Now that’m a more dedicated walker, I wear dedicated shoes: Tree Dashers. [TO SEARCH THE ALLBIRDS SITE AND BUY SHOES FROM ALLBIRDS.COM, CLICK HERE.]
Do I run quick-like-a-bunny in my Allbirds? No. Never will. “Chariots of Fire” is behind me. But I feel my life. I stride into the future. A bargain at any price.
Here’s the Allbirds story.
Until last year, no one I know in the East wore them. (For a good reason: As the New York Times reports, they’re the official shoe of Silicon Valley, where, sadly, I know almost no one.) Then Allbirds were dissected in The New Yorker: “Allbirds are so meticulously basic that, when clad in them, your feet almost cease to exist… The idea behind them isn’t proud unstylishness but technical perfection… Allbirds might be the closest the world of everyday fashion has come to embracing this ideal of optimized efficiency.”
My conversion to Allbirds began when I bought the signature, low-cut shoe. Khaki. They’re said to be “the most comfortable shoes ever made.” They were. So I bought a second pair: black, with black soles. They’re my dress shoes — even for black tie events. Stores? Only three: New York, San Francisco, Toronto. Amazon? No way.
The creators are Tim Brown, who grew up in New Zealand and played professional soccer there, and Joey Zwillinger, an engineer and renewables expert. Tim knew all about New Zealand’s 29 million merino sheep…
… and he knew that Merinos are the source of some of the finest and softest wool of any sheep. Why not use it for shoes?
The founders had Good Values: “The shoe industry prioritizes profit over principles (and comfort). We let form follow function, removing unnecessary stitches, colorful branding, and unwanted shoe-tech. We strive to make beautiful shoes using considered design—meaning every raw material is thoughtfully chosen for its unique properties, sustainability, and its end of life.”
They had a sense of humor: “We named the company Allbirds because it’s so remote, in fact, that when man first arrived, there were all birds, no mammals. The ‘Allbirds’ name is a nod to our belief that we need to adopt a more thoughtful approach to the way we live.”
They’re the Warby Parker of shoes — they make a great product that’s easy to buy and care for.
— Allbirds makes shoes for men, women and kids.
— They offer a very limited number of styles and colors.
— The size guide is simple genius.
— You can exchange or return a pair in 30 days, even if you’ve worn them.
— Socks are optional.
— They’re easy to care for: machine wash, air dry. Every few months, replace the insole.
In 2020 Allbirds introduced a new shoe for women: Tree Loungers. Think of them as ballet flats for the 21st century, correct for the office and… why not… the ballet. Merino wool. Castor bean oil cushioning. A snug collar, so they don’t gap two days after you start wearing them. An outsole that, Allbirds swears, “contours to the shape of your foot while supporting your natural gait… and also supplies bounce so you can stay light on your feet.” In happy, summery colors: Starfish (a hybrid of pink and purple), Caribbean (turquoise), Seashell (gray), and Marine (navy). And the standard price: $95.
If only more of life were this simple.
