Tim Brown of Allbirds Shares His Sneaker Secrets

New Zealander Tim Brown, co-founder of Allbirds, the running shoe brand beloved by the likes of Mila Kunis, Jennifer Garner and Emma Watson, has revealed the very unique secret behind his minimalist designs.

Brown teamed up with American Joey Zwillinger, an engineer and renewables expert, to craft a revolutionary wool fabric made specifically for footwear.

The result was an entirely new category of shoes “inspired by natural materials, and an ongoing mantra to create better things in a better way”.

“We’ve made an equivalent product [to other shoe manufacturers], but in a better way environmentally, that’s our brand, our mission and a non-negotiable for us,” Brown said.

“The thinking behind Allbirds was it would be innovative to do nothing; to strip back a shoe and create something simple and natural. Sometimes innovation is about taking things away.”

They have since sold more than one million pairs of the shoes and describe them as “the most comfortable shoes in the world” and the designs have been worn by the likes of Barack Obama and Oprah.

One of the secrets to the brand’s success is their use of eucalyptus trees.

“We’ve used 3D imaging to take eucalyptus fibre and its cooling properties which are perfect for sweaty feet and create a running shoe,” Brown said.

Original article by Laura House, Daily Mail, July 31, 2018.