Earlier this week, Barack Obama was spotted wearing a pair of black trainers while on holiday with his family in France. You might have recognised them, because it was the same pair that he teamed with a "44" emblazoned bomber jacket to watch a Duke-UNC basketball game in Toronto in February: 'Wool Runners' from eco-friendly trainer brand Allbirds.

The fact his trainer choice largely flew under the radar during that viral moment is a testament to the understated nature of the company. Not obviously branded with a flashy logo, Allbirds has become an affordable status trainer for both the style and environmentally conscious. The versatile trainers are often spotted on the likes of Ben Affleck, Ashton Kutcher, Leonardo DiCaprio, Hugh Jackman and Matthew McConaughey - who owns three pairs by our count.

Obama spotted wearing Wool Runner Allbirds trainers Mega Agency

Flatly priced at £95, their trainers come in Wool ("Soft & Cosy) or Tree ("Light & Breezy) and are made from materials which are ZQ certified for animal welfare and social and environmental care. They are a B corporation who ship their products in 90% post-consumer recycled cardboard, use laces that are made from 100% recycled materials, and work with a non-profit to send lightly-used trainers to deprived areas.

Allbirds

The brand first came to people's attention when Leonardo DiCaprio announced he was investing in the company in August 2018, tweeting that they were a company "dedicated to creating a more sustainable future by developing new materials and serving as a model for the footwear industry."

His financial backing wasn't only a noble endeavour but a shrewd business decision, as the company went on to be valued at $1.4bn in October of last year.

This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

For behemoth consumer fashion brands, efforts towards sustainability have usually come in the form of single lines made from recycled materials or pledges to reduce waste in the future. But customers are increasing looking to companies to prioritise environmental responsibility, something that has traditionally only been a concern for niche ethical brands or labels for outdoor enthusiasts like Patagonia. Data reported by the Guardian revealed that "in 2018, a third of consumers bought clothing once a month, down from 37% in 2016, while those buying every two or three months or less rose from 64% to 67%".

Many new brands are making sustainability a core part of their personality while still appealing to a style-conscious customer base. This includes women's fashion label Reformation, who sell themselves as the second most sustainable option to being naked, and menswear brands like Noah and Everlane. These companies offer customers more transparency about the materials and methods used to make their wares and advocate buying clothes made to last.

This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

While Allbirds are making waves as a sustainable footwear option, the company is keen to wear its credentials lightly. As company founder Tim Brown said in an interview with US Esquire, "It's not something to be proud of; it's something you just do". The low-key branding means you can buy into a brand who consider the environment without proclaiming it to the world.

Indeed, instead of being a shoe for virtue signallers, the first thing most Allbirds wearers are keen to tell anyone who asks is how comfortable the sock-like shoes are. Made from superfine merino wool or Lyocell, their trainers are supportive but very comfortable, so much so you can wear them without socks and throw them in the washing machine when you need to.

Similar to 'technical wear as everyday wear' brand Outdoor Voices, Allbirds have marketed themselves as a lifestyle brand rather than a functional piece of gym attire. The millennial-targeted branding means trainers come in soothing names like Kereru Moonstone or Tuke Jam, and posts tagged #allbirds on Instagram are more often of holidays in Cinque Terre than anyone pounding the treadmill.

Allbirds don't make the most fashionable nor the most technical trainers you can buy, but they've nailed being the perfect middle-point between those two pursuits. This with their understated but strong ethical credentials mean they ain't going anywhere soon. Just ask Obama.

Like this article? Sign up to our newsletter to get more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox.

SIGN UP

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io