Your sustainable sneakers have already captured the heart of Barack Obama.

Now Allbirds is entering new territory: After two years of development and more than seventy designs, the sustainable label from California is presenting its first sportswear collection under the name "Natural Run Apparel".

Just like with its sneakers, the company also uses natural fibers such as merino wool or eucalyptus fibers for its sportswear.

In order to make the footprint of the parts transparent, each is provided with its own CO2 label.

The bandwidth ranges from 4.7 to 14.5 kilos of CO2 that were created during production.

Aylin Guler

Editor for social media.

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The use of polyester is completely dispensed with in production. According to Allbirds, polyester consumes enough petroleum to operate 47,000 cruise ships and emits 700 million tons of CO2 annually - the equivalent of 70 million soccer fields. 55 percent of all clothing items are made of polyester, which is used as standard in most sportswear items because of its low production costs. Allbird's Co-Founder Tim Brown says, “Athletes have been dressed primarily in oil-based materials for over 50 years. My co-founder Joey Zwillinger and I knew there had to be another way. Because of this, we have worked for years to bring natural materials into the performance area, both in shoes and now in clothing. "

Competition with Adidas and Nike is getting closer

The collection includes leggings, cycling shorts, shorts, shirts and running tops.

All parts are made of light jersey material and should have a natural odor-inhibiting, moisture- and temperature-regulating effect.

According to the manufacturer, the "Natural Leggins" are twice as breathable as market-leading plastic leggings, which proves that natural materials are in no way inferior to synthetic ones - and can even surpass them.

Brown adds, “We have been committed to caring for the planet from the start, whether by using natural materials or focusing on carbon responsibility, and have focused on introducing products that we are both into Being able to be proud of both the environment and design. "

In August 2019, the company took its first step into the clothing industry, starting with socks. Last October, Allbirds introduced four items of clothing, including a shirt made from discarded crab skin and a wool puffer jacket made from New Zealand merino wool. The company has also expanded its range of shoes to include running sneakers, high-tops and women's flats. With the introduction of sportswear, the company is positioning itself as a closer rival to sporting greats such as Nike and Adidas.

According to Brown, the collection is suitable for anyone who wants to stay fit: "It has been tested for thousands of hours to meet industry benchmarks without compromising on the low-carbon effect," says the former New Zealand soccer player, adding, "No matter how Your running level is, you will feel comfortable with every step. "

Unlike most sportswear brands, who invest their innovative energy in petroleum-based plastics or use conventional plastic mixtures as standard, Allbirds invests its research and development resources according to its own information in the development of natural alternatives with low CO2 emissions. The aim is for 75 percent of the materials used to be made from sustainably sourced, natural or recycled materials by 2025. The new sports collection should already contribute to this - and also be a call to the fashion industry to create more transparency.