At Unlabeled Luxury, we pride ourselves on shunning labels in favor of stylish and quality goods that don’t break the bank.

It’s fitting our first post is for Allbirds. 

During the pandemic, style changed for the better in that casual was now in. But what shoes do guys wear that aren’t all-white New Balance dad shoes? There has to be a shoe that exudes style while remaining comfortable…

Unless you’ve been living under a non-sustainable rock for the last few years, you undoubtedly know Allbirds and their natural Merino Wool Runners shoe that looks and feels like you are wearing a pair of sheep. In fact, their Wool Runners are literally made from the wool of sheep – specifically, merino wool from New Zealand sheep that Allbirds states makes their shoes breathable, temperature-regulating, and moisture-wicking. They’ve also branched out into other naturally-derived products, with the Tree Runners that use tree fibers from South African wood. And their obsession with sustainability doesn’t stop with the fabric: Allbirds redesigned the entire shoe from the ground up, including the sole which their  cofounder and co-CEO stated they “created the world’s first green EVA — a sustainable version of the foam used on the bottoms of sneakers”. 

Allbirds’s play is sustainability and their target customer is mindful of the planet. And they quickly gained a cult-following for it.

But how comfortable are they?

Allbirds claims they make the world’s most comfortable shoes and, while we haven’t tried every shoe in the world, they are one of the most comfortable shoes we’ve worn.

We opted for the Tree Runners in our latest purchase to really see if wearing a pair of shoes made from wood could really be comfortable. I honestly thought they would be a little bit like wearing a pair of clogs that aren’t made for walking but better for annoying your downstairs neighbor.

The Tree Runners were surprising comfortable. The material is flexible and breathable, and the fit was true to size and absolutely perfect. 

Can sustainable materials really last?

I’m pleasantly surprised by how well my Tree Runners have lasted. I’ve put them through the ringer and then through the washer numerous times and they have held up really well. After a few months of wearing them religiously, the bottoms of the sole where the ball of your fit sits showed the most wear. After which, I stopped wearing them on my daily walks; however, I never noticed any difference in the comfort or the support of the shoe. Finally after about a year of wearing and washing and wearing and washing, the fabric is starting to show signs of wear and tear. For only around $100, they lasted a lot longer than I expected.

What’s the bottom line?

If you want a comfortable yet stylish shoes that won’t break the bank but will fight climate change, grab a pair of Allbirds. And because Allbirds website literally promotes “No flashy logos” as a feature of their shoes, they were made for Unlabeled Luxury.