Allbirds Unveils Bioplastic Soled Shoes Made with Zero Carbon Emissions

British shoe brand Allbirds has released a new trainer at the Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen. The shoe is said to boast zero emissions during its lifetime, making it the "world's first net-zero carbon shoe.".

Allbirds also unveiled an open-sourced toolkit named RECIPE B0.0K at the event, hoping to inspire the industry to make similar moves to net-zero carbon emissions.

The all-grey Moonshot sneaker's upper is made from wool sourced from a regenerative farm in New Zealand that uses sustainable land management practices. Compared to traditional manufacturers, the farm can capture more carbon than it emits in its production of superfine premium merino wool. The farm's native plantings, ground clearing, and new pasture species are part of their best-in-class development program, which helps sequester more carbon on top of the process.

Allbirds also designed the M0.0NSHOT to be zero-emissions by using carbon-negative materials. The shoe's midsole is made with SuperLight Foam derived from sugarcane. The foam has 70% bio-based content, outperforming most industry foams that are synthetic.

The shoe's bioplastic eyelets are also carbon-negative and made from microorganisms that convert methane into a polymer that can be moulded like plastics, without the corresponding carbon footprint.

The Moonshot shoe's insole is integrated directly into the knitted upper, and it features no laces or eyelets. Aside from reducing waste, this feature gives the shoe a futuristic look that lies between a sock trainer and a moonboot.

The shoes will be available for retail purchase in Spring 2024. Sign up here to keep up with the launch.