Allbirds success attracts unwanted shoe copycats
Imitation might be the sincerest form of flattery, but Allbirds wool shoes founder Tim Brown has had enough of the recognition from some rivals.
Late last year Allbirds filed a trade dress infringement lawsuit in the Northern District of California against shoe giant Steve Madden for allegedly copying its signature wool lace-up sneakers.
Steve Madden is not the only established company venturing into the woollen shoes business. Adidas, Nike and Puma are also using wool in sneakers and clothing, as more consumers seek out natural fibres over synthetic. It is all good news for New Zealand’s 400 merino farmers who are riding the wave of a boom in demand for the fine fibre. Since mid-2014, prices for 17.3-17.7-micron merino have risen from just below $13 per kilogram, to $28/kg. Former All White Brown said from his office in San Francisco that wool was ‘‘having a moment’’, especially in the United States where Silicon Valley tastemakers enjoy padding about in his shoes. ‘‘They want to understand how things are made, they care about sustainability and New Zealand merino farmers are well placed to take advantage of that momentum.’’ Allbirds uses New Zealand merino only and highlights the connection to Kiwi farmers. Christchurch-based company NZ Merino collects the fibre and sends it to Italian textile manufacturer Reda, where it is felted for the shoes. ‘‘We’re not just using any wool, we’re using the best wool in the world, some of the finest micron fibre also used to make $5000 suits by Armani,’’ Brown said. The fact the ‘‘behemoths’’ of the sports shoe world are breathing down his neck did not scare him. ‘‘The idea that those big companies are beginning to consider it [wool] is a huge compliment, we’re in a competitive situation. The number of knock-offs we’re seeing of our product is crazy.’’