I wanted to review these shoes because in so many ways I love them but there are a few things that make me say hmm...
I like to start with the good so here my thoughts followed by some facts from their website www.allbirds.com that made me excited to purchase:
These shoes are incredibly soft and comfortable - FACTS. They say they are machine washable - I have yet to test that. I did however wear them more than 10 days (not in a row) without socks and they still do not smell. They are moisture wicking - FACT. They are incredibly light - FACT. I think they are pretty cute to boot!
I originally purchased the green pair you see on the right. It seems this color is no longer offered! The only thing I did not like was the black sole, but it was not a big deal. I had a trip coming up to Amsterdam and Dublin (maybe another post on that) and these seemed like the perfect shoes to explore in. I was very happy upon receiving them. I can just feel the arch. I have high arches so usually can feel no support, nothing, nada. The fact that I could feel something means that regular arched people would have awesome support.
I tested them out a few times before the trip. No rubbing, no blisters, just soft comfort. I traveled for 12 days and wore these at least 9 days. I did a lot of walking, about 3 hours every day and they were super comfy.
“Our merino wool is ZQ-certified, which means it meets stringent standards of sustainable farming and animal welfare. In other words, no sheep were harmed in the making of these shoes.“
“Our merino has a carbon footprint that is 60% smaller than typical synthetic materials used in shoes; and castor beans are an incredibly sustainable source for the green polyurethane used in our insoles.“
“We spent over two years working with the finest wool in the world (New Zealand superfine merino, if anyone’s asking) to create a new fabric that’s incredibly soft, lightweight, breathable, and flexible. This natural fabric not only boasts the incredible properties of merino, but is durable enough to take you far.“
About halfway through my trip the tongue of the right show tore! Not a huge deal but I do not think I was tying them particularly tight so it seemed strange. I took a pic and emailed customer service letting them know I had no info with me and was traveling but it was less than 30 days. Ashley responded that they would send me some free grey wool runners to replace them and whenever I returned home I could send the damaged pair back. She said that some colors have thinner tongues so this may be what happened. Even my issue turned out to be a non issue. I wore them a few more times on the trip. Less than a week after I returned I had a new pair on my porch that happened to be in the other color I was considering.
Comparing the two pairs I noticed the insole/arch support is slightly different. (see second photo) I do not feel the arch as much in this grey pair. The green pair had allbirds written on the arch support, these do not. I took a photo of the insoles to show that they are a bit different. I would assume they changed them completely as it would seem odd that it be based on shoe color, but who knows. They are still comfy, but I feel I will need to replace these much sooner. Replacement insoles are available on the website but if they are wimpy like this I would rather keep my $25. Just my thoughts of course. They do have the soft/no need for socks factor so that is something to consider.
excellent customer service
moisture wicking/breathable
great for walking all day
I will and have recommended these shoes.
