Allbirds is a sports brand founded by Tim Brown and Joey Zwillinger. Before starting his business, Zwillinger worked in a biotech company and received a generous salary. His wife and Brown’s wife are college roommates. After Brown started his business, Zwillinger’s wife suggested that he talk to Brown. After Zwillinger learned about Brown’s philosophy, he decided to give up his enviable job and start a business with Brown.
does not require too many colors, there is no big trademark, the design of the shoe is "simple"
Tim Brown was born in New Zealand. Before founding Allbirds, he was a professional football player and represented New Zealand in many international competitions, including serving as deputy captain in the 2010 World Football Championship. During his football career, Brown never had to be upset about wearing any sneakers because his shoes are sponsored by well-known brands. Although you don’t need to spend money on shoes, Brown always thinks the design of sneakers is too fancy. Especially the color matching on the sneakers and the big sponsored trademark made him feel that it was too "over".
In 2012, Brown officially retired from the court, but he has always been obsessed with the problem of sneakers. He wanted to find some relatively "simple" sneakers, and the popularity of "sports fashion" (Athleisure: a fashion style composed of two English single words, Athletic and Leisure), so Brown decided to design the shoes he wanted. After joining
Zwillinger, Allbirds was officially established in 2016. They began to look for the "simple" shoes they thought.
Allbirds Two co-founders Tim Brown and Joey Zwillinger
Many shoes on the market are made of multiple pieces of fabric, which is the benefit of providing different patterns and colors for the shoes. But Brown thought it was unnecessary, so in pursuit of the simplicity he wanted, all the Allbirds were made of just one piece of fabric and sole. This makes Allbirds' shoes all monochrome and have no patterns.
In addition to color, Brown also wants to make Allbirds' items simple. All, they also only launch 4 or 5 styles of shoes for customers to choose from. These styles include low-tube walking shoes (Runners), high-tube walking shoes (Toppers), loungers without laces, casual shoes with laces (Skippers), and slippers (Zeffers).
And Allbirds can do this because their target market is "sports fashion". Therefore, they can make the design "simple" by reducing unnecessary "professional sports functions" (such as air cushions, stronger ankle protection).
Except for the few styles, Allbirds has not launched different series for these styles. Therefore, all shoes have only one style. Brown described that in product development, unlike other brands, Allbirds constantly designs new styles, resulting in many "versions" of each shoe. At Allbirds, their approach is more like launching only one "version" and then constantly making it better. Although these "simple" designs of
limit customers' choices, they also make it easier for customers to find the shoes they really want. But Brown's "simplicity" is not limited to design, he even wants to simplify his business model.
Brown I found that shoes have been through retailers for a long time before they can reach customers' feet. Since retailers sell shoes from multiple brands, they will still give customers too many choices. Apart from that, customers can’t give their ideas back directly to the manufacturer of shoes. So Brown decided to skip retailers and face customers directly through the network.
In 2018, Allbirds set up its first physical store to further strengthen interaction with customers. Currently, Allbirds has 3 stores, in New York, San Francisco, and London. The designs in these physical stores are also mainly focused on simplicity and improving customer experience. For example, the chairs in the store are designed to lean forward, making it easier for customers to try on different shoes. Plus, there is plenty of room at the bottom of the chair for Allbirds’ shoebox. When trying on, customers can stuff their shoe boxes there to avoid blocking them.The physical store of
Allbirds has a comfortable try-on space
spares no effort and uses good raw materials to allow customers to have more "comfortable" shoes
Allbirds will choose to completely bypass retailers not only because they want to simplify their business model, but also because they want to provide customers with more "comfortable" shoes.
Brown Before founding Allbirds, he spent a lot of time studying the profit structure of this industry. He found that a pair of shoes worth 1,000 yuan, the production cost is 220 yuan, other costs 230 yuan (including marketing, transportation and other costs), and the manufacturer can earn 50 yuan, while the remaining 500 yuan is all given to the retailer.
In order to ensure profit, shoe factories will try their best to reduce production costs. Therefore, they will choose to use cheap raw materials. Brown believes this needs to be changed because cheap raw materials can make the final product uncomfortable. Therefore, after Allbirds shipped out the retailer, it could save more money and invest in using better materials.
Since Brown grew up in New Zealand, the first thing he thought of was the famous "Merino Wool". Brown likes to call New Zealand "land with 27 million sheep", where there are more sheep than people (the sheep-to-man ratio is about 6:1). Therefore, New Zealand is also the world's second largest wool exporter.
Brown grew up, he often wore a coat and socks made of wool, so he immediately thought of using wool to make shoes. However, things are not as easy as he imagined. No manufacturer has ever tried to use wool to make shoes, not only because it is more expensive, but also because it is not tough enough. Wool products will make some people's skin itchy.
Brown Did not give up, he worked with agricultural scientists affiliated with the New Zealand government to finally develop a wool that can withstand wear of shoes, is very comfortable and does not make people itchy. Finally, he chose to use wool of the same grade as Giorgio Armani and Gucci suits to produce the "most comfortable shoes".
After Allbirds launched the "wool" series, they received some suggestions from customers that the shoe will be a little hot in the summer. So Brown began to look for another raw material. This time, he found inspiration in the environment of growing up again. Eucalyptus is a common tree in New Zealand, and Brown found that the fibers of eucalyptus can also be used to make shoes. After many experiments, Allbirds studied the fibers of South African trees known as TENCEL Lyocell. This fiber is not only comfortable, but also overcomes the problem of stuffy wool.
With wool and tree fiber as uppers, Brown began to study the raw materials for the sole. Generally, the soles are made of petroleum-based EVA (polyethylene vinyl acetate) plastic. Brown has worked with Brazilian plastic manufacturers for two years to develop a sole made of sugar cane, SweetFoam. This sole is lighter and more comfortable, but it is also very environmentally friendly (because there is no oil-based).
Allbirds When selecting raw materials, it not only pays attention to comfort, but also continuously maintains the principle of "simple". Therefore, until today, all of their shoes are made of only these 3 materials.
Allbirds The shoe design is simple, and it is made of only 3 raw materials
regards "sustainability" as a link that "cannot be compromised", which makes consumers more agree with the brand
Brown is very attentive when choosing raw materials because he cares very much about "sustainability". He believes that although customers will not buy their products just for "sustainability", when their products and competitors reach the same level, "sustainability" can affect customer decisions.
Therefore, Brown regards "sustainability" as a "not compromised" part of Allbirds products. This is also the reason why he keeps looking for natural raw materials instead of synthetic materials that are widely used by other shoe brands.
In addition, the wool they use also allows Allbirds to save 60% energy compared to using synthetic materials during production. The fibers used also come from relying on natural rainwater, and the production process also emits 50% less carbon dioxide than other brands.
What is even more admirable is that after Allbirds invested so many resources to develop these materials, Brown did not lock these "secret recipes" into the safe. Instead, he chose to disclose the formula of these raw materials so that those in need can use it for free.
Allbirds Carefully select sustainable materials such as sugar cane, wool and bark
Many people will question whether doing so will cause Allbirds to lose their advantage. However, Brown believes that consumers nowadays value "sincerity", and making these recipes public can let everyone know that he is really paying attention to environmental issues, not just as a publicity tool. If more people can be attracted to use these formulas, it will have more positive effects on the environment. Moreover, he also expects that more demand will reduce the price of these raw materials, which will also be beneficial to Allbirds.
Allbirds quickly gained the love of customers after it started operating in 2016. Many people call them the "most comfortable shoes" online, and Allbirds' total revenue reached $100 million in the two years before opening. This brilliant achievement also allowed them to successfully raise $50 million in October 2018, increasing the company's market value to $1.4 billion.
In addition to continuing to grow in the apparel industry in the future, Brown does not want to miss any industry that can provide customers with "simple", "comfortable" and "sustainable" products. Therefore, this company, which has just been promoted to a "unicorn", will spread its wings and fly to a brighter future, just like its name!
