Allbirds expands beyond shoes and socks

Image of Allbirds' new underwear range
Allbirds now offers men’s and women’s underwear made out of its eco-friendly Trino material.
Image of Allbirds' new underwear range
Allbirds now offers men’s and women’s underwear made out of its eco-friendly Trino material.

Iconic Kiwi shoe brand Allbirds has launched its first range of products outside the footwear category.

As of last Friday, customers can now buy intimate apparel – men’s and women’s underwear and a bralette – made from the same eco-friendly Trino material as its socks.

Image of woman wearing Allbirds' new underwear.
Allbirds now offers men’s and women’s underwear made out of its eco-friendly Trino material.

A combination of responsibly sourced eucalyptus tree fiber and ZQ-certified merino wool, a global standard for ethical wool, Trino has numerous benefits compared to standard materials used in underwear, according to Allbirds.

The merino provides softness, absorption and technical ability, while the eucalyptus tree fibre provides breathability, silkiness and a cooling effect.

The material is also free from harmful chemicals, unlike 99 per cent of cotton, which is grown using harsh pesticides, according to a report from the Organic Trade Association cited in the brand’s press release.

Virgin nylon, which is often used for trim and elastic in underwear, is made from petroleum. Allbirds in contrast uses bio nylon and recycled PET for its waistbands.

The range, which is available online and labelled as “limited edition”, includes a few different styles of underwear and a bralette in a variety of colours.

Allbirds is best known for its merino wool sneakers, which co-founders Tim Brown and Joey Zwillinger first offered on Kickstarter before officially launching the brand in 2016.

The brand has since expanded into running shoes made out of eucalyptus tree fibre and other eco-friendly materials, and socks and now underwear made out of Trino.

It is a certified B Corp and is committed to reducing the carbon footprint of its operations. Last month, Allbirds announced a partnership with Adidas to develop the lowest carbon footprint shoe ever.

In 2018, the company was valued at US$1.4 billion. It operates online globally and has bricks-and-mortar stores in the US, UK, New Zealand, China, Japan and Germany.

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