New Zealand start-up Allbirds has created the first sneaker with a historical zero carbon footprint. Compared to the usual average of 14 kg CO₂e for a sneaker, Allbirds' MO.ONSHOT model has been made carbon neutral without relying on offsets, "completely reinventing the way the product is made," as explained by Allbirds.
According to Allbirds, creating a zero-carbon shoe that is commercially viable and scalable is the culmination of its work as a whole. The brand claims htat MO.ONESHOT is proof that when sustainability is taken seriously and companies focus on carbon reduction, "we can make incredible strides," explains Tim Brown, co-founder and co-CEO of Allbirds.
MO.ONSHOT is the culmination of years of work by Allbirds to reduce its carbon emissions. In 2018, it created SweetFoam®, its first carbon-negative material, which inspired the new foam used in MO.ONSHOT. Then, in 2020, Allbirds became the first fashion brand to label products with carbon footprints.
Collaboration with Adidas
In 2021, the brand also announced a partnership with Adidas to collaborate on what was, at the time, the world's lowest carbon shoe, the Adizero x Allbirds. Following this project, the search for a zero-carbon shoe became a natural next step. The Allbirds Futures Team, the New Zealand brand's innovation team, took on that challenge in 2022, building on all previous learnings.
The zero-carbon sneakers were made possible by, for example, the regenerative merino wool upper, the sugarcane-based foam midsole, and the bioplastic eyelets made from methane converted into a polymer. In addition, both the packaging and the transport of the shoes have been designed so as not to generate additional carbon.
Where Fashion Meets Synthetic Biology
The fact that Adidas has prioritized as a strategic focus its Originals business line over traditional sportswear fully reflects the paradigm shift. By 2015, however, no single company dominated the athleisure space in the footwear category, and Allbirds was created with that opportunity in mind.
Allbirds decided to play the game in the comfort value driver and achieved an abrupt differentiation by employing biotechnologies to redefine what was technically possible in that area. In particular, using gene sequencing and gene editing techniques, Allbirds is producing materials used in its shoes through the metabolic process of sugarcane cells and uses synthetic biology-based processes for the production of polyurethanes.
The Allbirds case demonstrates, on the contrary, that innovations in sustainability can challenge the status quo of a market and generate abrupt competitive advantages. Similarly, we are accustomed to the intellectual property paradigm in which sharing proprietary knowledge with competitors is tantamount to losing the advantage that such knowledge can generate.
As a certified B Corporation brand, Allbirds is dedicated to producing the most sustainable footwear possible. Plant-based leather is Allbirds' next big step. The company recently announced a $2 million investment in a materials innovation company called Natural Fiber Welding, Inc. and last year added its first 100% natural plant-based leather product to its product line.
This material, Mirum, is said to have 40 times less carbon emissions than real leather and produces 17% less carbon than synthetic leather made from petroleum-based sources. Mirum is made from a combination of vegetable oil, natural rubber, and other bio-based raw materials.