Unlikely solemates: Competitors Adidas and Allbirds jointly develop green sneaker

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In California, sustainable sneaker pioneer Allbirds has partnered with footwear giant Adidas to create Futurecraft.Footprint, a shoe with a 63% lower carbon footprint than the average sneaker. 

The partnership, begun last year, involved sharing information about materials and supply chains. Both companies say the sustainability profile of Futurecraft.Footprint is a “personal best” for their brands. 

 “Our partnership with Allbirds is a beacon of what can happen when competing brands from the same industry see the possibilities in coming together to design,” Adidas executive board member of global brands Brian Grevy said in a statement. “By truly co-creating and providing each other with open access to knowledge and resources—such as Allbirds’ knowledge of carbon calculation and experience with natural materials, and Adidas’ capabilities in manufacturing and performance footwear — this is a call to action for other brands, and a milestone in the sports industry achieving carbon neutrality.”

The companies will give away 100 pairs of the shoes before offering 10,000 of the kicks for sale  in the fall. A wider release is planned for next spring.