In partnering with a Bonsucro certified business, we are ensuring, through the best third-party verification body in the world for sugarcane production that we are following the most stringently protective practices, Allbirds said in a statement. By 1 product ratings - Allbirds Women's Tree Breezers Marine/Marine Sole Comfort Flats Worn 9M. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Not only is this a totally new shoe for Allbirds, but the Sugar Zeffers also mark the brands most eco-friendly product yet, thanks to its specially engineered sole. If you're familiar with Allbirds, you probably can understand why they've developed a reputation for being the worlds most comfortable shoes. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Fossil fuels arent sustainable, but alternatives aren't perfect, either. EVA is a very widespread material used significantly in footwear. Rob Verger is the Technology Editor at Popular Science, where he leads a team of journalists who cover everything from artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, and cybersecurity to privacy, security, and the military. Were a pretty small company. 30 Perfect Pairs of Socks to Overhaul Your Top Drawer, Sadie Sink Strides Sidewalk Sporting Spearlike Slingbacks, Jennifer Lopez Affleck Wore a Billowing Shirtdress and Ballet Flats Like a 50s Movie Star. Tiffany Haddish Plays "What Would Tiffany Haddish Do?". Copyright 1995-2022 eBay Inc. All Rights Reserved. Allbirds Launches Colorful Flip Flops Made from Sugar. Sign up for our daily newsletter to find the best fashion for YOU. A common component in footwear is a foam called EVAor ethylene-vinyl acetate. Just because it is a renewable energy source, people think its all positive, she concludes, adding that its definitely better than fossil fuel. Ultimately, she says, the important thing is for the sugarcane ethanol industry to try to minimize the harmful aspects of cane agriculture. Sugarcane plantations have a lot of roads, she says. PwC Cloud and Digital Transformation BrandVoice, How To Earn Cash Rewards For Everyday Spending. How would she handle Arie from The Bachelor? Its been around for decades, Brown says. The sandals come in four vacation-ready colors and are as comfortably priced as they are comfortable: Pairs are $35 each, with interchangeable straps available for an extra $15. Allbirds new Sugar Zeffer sandals replace part of that material, which usually comes from petroleum, with sugarcane. Weve replaced the barrel of oil with a field of sugarcane, Zwillinger says, although he concedes that there are still minor components in the new flip-flops that are petroleum-derived. So far, the brand has focused on two classic silhouettesthe sneaker (or the runner) and the loafer (or loungers)and now its expanding into yet another category: sandals. Youll always hear it from Design Milk first. Glamour may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Called Sugar Zeffers, the new style is basically a riff on a classic flip-flop. I Finally Caved and Bought the 'World's Most Comfortable Shoes'and I Get It Now, Allbirds' New Collection Turns Trees Into Sneakers, Meet the Group of Women Working to Make the Influencer Industry More Sustainable, 2022 Cond Nast. the worlds first green-EVA, a material made from renewable sugar cane. Zwillingerhints at announcementsthat will be made before the end of the year. In our simple, low-key sort of way, weve tried to reimagine this classic product and make it comfortable and simple and beautiful. In the case of flip-flops, that means creating sandals with streamlined, cushioned soles and woven straps made with fibers from recycled plastic bottles. Typical soles are made from the heavily polluting, petroleum-based EVA plastic foam, but Sugar Zeffers are made with the worlds first green-EVA, a material made from renewable sugar cane. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. This new,carbon-negative technology replaces the plastic foam in traditional shoe soles, which is often made from dirty oil and is highly polluting. Customers can purchase interchangeable straps at $15 for the Japanese-inspired flip flops, which are available in four summery colorways. Allbirds adds other substances into the mix to produce what theyre calling SweetFoam. ", The company also announced actor and prominent environmental activist. We focus on making things simpler, and better, and more wearable, he tells Glamour. Sign up to receive Popular Science's emails and get the highlights. Find out in this video. There seems to be a problem serving the request at this time, {"modules":["unloadOptimization","bandwidthDetection"],"unloadOptimization":{"browsers":{"Firefox":true,"Chrome":true}},"bandwidthDetection":{"url":"https://ir.ebaystatic.com/cr/v/c1/thirtysevens.jpg","maxViews":4,"imgSize":37,"expiry":300000,"timeout":250}}. Photo copyright retained by photo owners, everything else 2022 Design Milk. Zwillinger says UK customers can expectan exciting lineupspanning brick and mortar, e-commerce and limited edition product. Read all of Caroline Williamson's posts. You may opt-out by. Allbirds is truly doing things to change the footwear industry to make it more environmentally friendly. Several sizes have already sold out online. FollowVeena McCooleonInstagramandTwitter. Were only three years old. Another issue has to do with the use of nitrogen-containing fertilizer, although sugarcane doesnt need much. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. 2022 Forbes Media LLC. Our passion is discovering and highlighting emerging talent, and were energized by and for our community of like-minded design lovers like you! Allbirds' new Sugar Zeffer flip flops are available in four colorways. Studiopepe's special edition of Stick lighting for Mohd capitalizes on using the same base module in different configurations. The process continues from there, and eventually, the ethanol is made into ethyleneor the E in EVA foam. Farmers are trying to increase productivity of pasturelike how much grass can grow in one hectareby fertilizing it. Fertilizing pasture is otherwise unheard of in Brazil, she says. Even if youre not familiar with the fine print in footwear production, know this: Finding a sustainable alternative for EVA, the material thats dominated the footwear industry for ages, and having it be even more comfortable than what shoppers are used to is a big deal. Sugarcane cultivation is on the rise in Brazil, says Solange Filoso, an associate research professor at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. Ad Choices, Allbirds Is LaunchingWait for ItFlip-Flops, 17 Celebrities Speak Out About Being Child-Free by Choice, 55 Mystery Movies That Will Keep You Guessing Until the Very End, Miss Universe Harnaaz Sandhu Drops Her Skin-Care Routine. The revolutionary material makes for a bouncy jaunt, conforming to your foot to offer premium comfort. Something went wrong. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify. Its going to take time, but Brown says the extra effort is worthwhile if it pushes the needle toward a more sustainable fashion industry. He says this new sugarcane foam will eventually appear in other Allbirds kicks. As pasture land becomes in shorter supply, she says, farmers are working that remaining pasture harder. The company also announced actor and prominent environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio as a new investor, and plansto launch in the UK in October. "There's something about sugarcane-derived adhesives in solar panels that pieces together a green cycle that is really special. Eventually, Brown says, its entire inventory will have the same SweetFoam soles that customers can try with the Sugar Zeffer flip-flops (exact date TBD). The flip flops are made with a proprietary sole material made using sustainable sugarcaneSweetFoamwhich the brand will roll out across all its product lines. spanning brick and mortar, e-commerce and limited edition product. For some visual enticement, Design Milk dives in to share 10 really cool modern swimming pools we can't get enough of! We bring you the trends. View cart for details. Tiffany Haddish plays a game of "What Would Tiffany Haddish Do?" Allbirds is also planning to spread its wings beyond footwear. From a mushroom shaped disco ball to a jelly fish inspired table lamp, these quirky home furnishings spark joy (and conversation). "We don't think of ourselves as a shoe company," Zwillinger says, adding that the team is in the early stages of looking into apparel and other categories outside of shoes. What would she do if she was Hurt Bae? The playbook for our brand is that we come in with our design lens and strip things away. You make them your own. To revisit this article, select My Account, thenView saved stories. How would she handle Mr. Big standing up Carrie at their wedding in the Sex and the City movie? Originally from Brazil, Filoso has researched the environmental impacts of sugarcane production in South Americas largest country. Vacation In Hawaii Like A Homeowner With Destination Residences Hawaii, This Ranch In Wyoming Comes With Its Own Air Strip And Guest Lodge, Award-Winning Architect Reimagines The Hotels Of The Future, Five-Star Hotel Chef Shares Tips For Creating A Kitchen Garden At Home, Experience A Five Star Hotel At Home With These Recipes From Red Carnation Hotel Collection, The Travel Trend Of The Future: Luxury Resorts That Grow Their Own Food, Spring Break Vacations For The Whole Family, Airbnb Invites You To Sleep In A Spaceship. After the company announced the recent hire of Erick Haskellwho formerly led Under Armour's growth in Chinaas president of international, it's safe to assume Allbirds will soon be tapping into markets further afield. which the brand will roll out across all its product lines. It's rare to say a smartphone stands out from the crowd, but Carl Pei's first Android device is clearly different than anything out there. "We think about ourselves as delivering simple, beautiful design with the aim of being comfortable and made with sustainable materials." The ethylene from the sugarcane takes the place of ethylene from petroleum. The Nothing Phone 1 Is Clearly a Different Kind of Smartphone, The Stick Lighting Family Tackles an Ancient Symbol, 10 Pieces of Quirky + Modern Home Decor That Make a Statement, Bright + Maximalist Homewares by Kiki Goti Are a Multi-Sensory Delight, The Best Modern Dorm Room Decor Under $100, 12 Modern Housewarming Gifts That Every New Homeowner Will Appreciate. Published Aug 2, 2018 3:00 AM. All Rights Reserved, This is a BETA experience. One of the products of that sugarcane squishing is a liquid called molasses; added yeast feasts on that sugary substance and produces ethanol. The only way were going to sort of solve or attack the issue, the challenge of making better and more sustainable products, is if we do it together. Whether the footwear industry at large adopts its EVA technology or not, Allbirds plans to integrate the SweetFoam material into its existing product categories. Allbirds has also pledged to share its carbon negative EVA technology with other footwear brandsso long as other brands want to get on board with sustainable practices. You can follow Caroline Williamson on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Linkedin. Allbirds, the shoe brand known for stylish sneakers with a merino wool upper, have announced a line of flip-flops that swaps traditionally-manufactured soles for a material made with Brazilian sugarcane. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, thenView saved stories. While moving away from fossil fuels is good in theorytheyre a finite resource, for one, and produce greenhouse gases that contribute to climate changeindustrial agriculture is not without its own consequences. All rights reserved. He declined todisclose revenue figures, but shared that Allbirds was profitable. Heres how it works, from field to flip-flop: Allbirds is using sugarcane grown in So Paulo state, in Brazils southeast. She also notes that sugarcane agriculture is replacing orange groves, too, which are gentler on the environment than the cane. A weekly guide to everything you should add to cart, but havent yet. Sustainability wins when we stop talking about it and we find better ways to replace the materials we already use.. Is It Better To Lease Or Buy A Car In Summer 2022? Erosion is one such problem with Brazilian sugarcane production. Were not going to wait around until [sustainability] becomes the rule rather than the exception, Brown says. After the company announced the recent hire of Erick Haskellwho formerly led Under Armour's growth in Chinaas president of international, it's safe to assume Allbirds will soon be tapping into markets further afield. Allbirds sugarcane EVA, which theyve dubbed SweetFoam, is produced with renewable energy as well; it's also carbon-neutral, meaning that it removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The Sugar Zeffers (Womens and Mens) give nod to Japanese-style flip flops but feature a SweetFoam sole that was two years in the making. Our love of ridiculously comfortable Allbirds kicks is well-documented and the brand continues changing the shoe game with their latest: flip flops made from sugar. For its part, Allbirds notes that all the sugarcane they use is certified by an organization called Bonsucro, a network focused on making sugarcane cultivation sustainable. Rob Verger As for Allbirds' next product drop? e know theres interest within the industry, but what were hopeful for is that it will expand beyond that," says Zwillinger, explaining that there is a wider application of the technology in adhesives, automotives and solar panels. She says that sugarcane can have a negative impact on the environment, but that those problems can also be mitigated if growers follow best practices. Along with comfort and being made from sustainable materials (both high on our pros list), the flip flops, which come in four must-have colors, are designed to be minimalist with universal appealthat everyone can slide into for eternal happiness. Weve made a big difference here in a short space of time, just because its a nonnegotiable for our business.. This new,carbon-negative technology replaces the plastic foam in traditional shoe soles, which is often made from dirty oil and is highly polluting. "There's something about sugarcane-derived adhesives in solar panels that pieces together a green cycle that is really special.". So if youre looking for a pillowlike alternative to your well-worn flip-flops, Consider the job done. That sentiment is important to keep in mind when considering Allbirds latest efforts: consumers should be skeptical of supposedly green productsgoods whose manufacturing processes can still hurt the environmenteven while keeping in mind that a small step away from a reliance on fossil fuels is one in the right direction. Like its Tree Collection, which used eucalyptus pulp to weave breathable shoe-uppers, the brand has found another seemingly random renewable resource to manufacture its new product: sugarcane, as a replacement for the harmful, petroleum-based versions of EVA, or ethylene vinyl acetate, which many footwear companies use to make cushioned soles. Contact the author here. Theyve garnered so much attention for it lately that environmental activist and Academy Award-winning actor, Leonardo DiCaprio, has come on board as a new investor. After launching kids sizesSmallbirdslast October, and a line of "tree" runners and loungers made from eucalyptus fiber in March, Allbirds' fourthproduct offers its lowest price point. Were small in a very, very large category, explains Brown. Yes, sugar. Just in time for summer's end, Allbirds launcheditsSugar Zeffer flip flops, made from sustainable Brazilian sugar cane and retailing for $35. Caroline Williamson is Editorial Director of Design Milk. And interestingly, sugarcane agriculture is taking over land that used to be unmanaged pasture, she says. Oh, and by the way: Yes, the Sugar Zeffers are just as comfortable as Allbirds runners. | Follow this author to improve your content experience. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. At a mill, its kind of squished, says Joey Zwillinger, one of Allbirds founders. Water quality in the state of So Paulo is a growing problem which is definitely aggravated by intensive agriculture like sugarcane, she adds, via email. While the "free and bouncy" Sugar Zeffers are only available for a limited time, the company aims to make a long-term impact on the footwear market. When its cut, there are trucks that go collect the cane to take to the mills. The erosion from this process can impact waterways. "We know theres interest within the industry, but what were hopeful for is that it will expand beyond that," says Zwillinger, explaining that there is a wider application of the technology in adhesives, automotives and solar panels. Allbirds will make the environmentally-friendlytechnologyavailable to other shoe manufacturers and companies in the industry, and co-founder Joey Zwillinger says he has already received calls from other companies expressing interest. According to cofounder Tim Brown, Allbirds expansion into sandals has been nearly three years in the making, as part of its mission to revamp classic shoe styles with sustainable production practices.