Few things are worse than stuffy shoes that make your feet feel like they’ve been trapped in a plastic bag. Without that nice breathability, your feet will get overheated and sweaty, leading to effects like chaffing, blisters, odor, and so on. Plus, it’s just not comfortable, and we think shoes should always be comfortable.
Fortunately, Allbirds shoes are designed with breathability built in, because it all starts with the materials themselves.
What is the most breathable shoe material?
Let’s talk about eucalyptus tree fiber—a highly breathable material due to its special cellular structure. Eucalyptus tree fiber are made up of nanofibrils (i.e., extremely small fibers) that create channels, or tiny tunnels, within the fabric. These channels increase the surface area of the material and allow air to circulate more freely, enhancing its breathability. How’s that for cool science stuff?
And that’s not all. Eucalyptus tree fiber can absorb and release moisture quickly. This means it can wick away sweat from the skin, allowing it to evaporate and keep your feet dry and cool. Plus, eucalyptus fiber is thin and lightweight, which makes the fabric construction less dense and more breathable.
All that to say, we’ve found a very special material, and using it results in shoes that are not only comfortable and soft, but also offer excellent breathability—making them ideal for warm weather. Or really just any time you want your feet to breathe better.
An even bigger benefit of eucalyptus tree fiber…
Perhaps most importantly, eucalyptus tree fiber is a highly-renewable resource. When compared to standard materials like cotton, eucalyptus fiber requires 95% less water in its production, leading to a substantial cut in our water consumption. The cherry on top? Using eucalyptus reduces our carbon emissions by half, positioning it as an obvious option for both comfort and ecological responsibility.
Our most breathable shoes
While it’s true that each pair of Allbirds is designed to offer superior amounts of breathability, some shoes are superstars in this arena. For example, our shoes with merino wool outer material (like our Wool Runners) will retain more heat than the Tree Runners or Tree Dashers, which are made with eucalyptus tree fiber outers—making them ideal for cold, wet weather.
If you’re looking for breathable walking or running shoes, we suggest going with a pair of Tree Dasher Relays, Tree Pipers, Tree Flyers, Tree Skippers, and our new SuperLight Trainers, which combine eucalyptus fiber with recycled monofilament for the ultimate in lightweight breathability.
Need some easy and breezy shoes for hiking? Our Trailrunner SWTs combine ruggedness and stability with our light and airy eucalyptus fiber. And don’t worry, golfers, we’ve got you covered too—our Golf Dashers feature grippy, multi-directional lugs to boost your swing stability and will keep you looking sharp during those inevitable (hopefully celebratory) post-round drinks.
So, there you have it. Keep your feet dry, cool, and cozy with our outrageously comfortable and astoundingly renewable eucalyptus fiber, available for practically every form or function.
And if you’d like to learn more about how we made this all happen and see the details on just how sustainable our eucalyptus fiber truly is, you can find out more here.
