Allbirds makes zero-carbon shoe available to the public
Two years after teasing the product, Allbirds has made its zero-carbon shoe available to the public.
A limited, 500-unit run of the 'M0.0NSHOT Zero' shoe is available beginning Thursday at Allbirds stores in New York City and London, and on Friday in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The shoe will later be available in Seoul, South Korea, on April 1 and in Tokyo in the spring, according to a press release.
The shoes are priced at $200 and offered in unisex sizes 6 through 11 for both men and women.
The release of Allbirds' first zero-carbon shoe comes as the brand executes on a multiyear transformation. As of November, Allbirds had shuttered 15 stores and revised its outlook for 2024, lowering full-year revenue guidance to a range of $187 million to $193 million.
The Moonshot project began in 2022, according to the company. After debuting the shoe in 2023, the brand created an open-source toolkit to allow other companies to create their own versions.
'Simply put: product takes time, particularly product this ambitious,' the company said in an email. 'These shoes are a world first and are the culmination of years of learnings and innovations, so we wanted to take the time to nail this and create a moment that sparks dialogue, exploration, and action for the fashion industry to make meaningful progress against climate change.'
The zero-carbon shoe also comes as consumers grapple with wanting to prioritize sustainability and having to pull back on discretionary spending in the face of economic uncertainty.
'Consumers have told us that they want more sustainable products,' Matt Powell, adviser at Spurwink River, said in an email. 'But they have also said they would not pay a lot more for sustainability. This pricing is probably on the edge here. Some will pay this but will enough do so? Remains to be seen.'
Beth Goldstein, a footwear analyst for Circana, added that it also comes down to value, which can mean different things for different consumers. 'For a consumer that prioritizes environmental issues, this price point may be digestible,' Goldstein said. 'But for most this isn't going to be the key selling point, so there need to be other benefits as well. It needs to be a great product, not just an eco-friendly one.'
Items made with any recycled materials generated 20% of running and lifestyle sneaker sales in 2024, up from 5% in 2021, according to Circana's Retail Tracking Service.
The release of the Moonshot publicly also comes as Allbirds reworks its product portfolio. The brand in late 2023 released an updated version of its classic Wool Runner and last year launched the Tree Runner Go sneaker. Allbirds also revealed a vintage-inspired style dubbed the Courier in 2023.
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