Sustainable Trailblazer Allbirds Just Launched Its First Activewear Collection

The brand’s debut performance apparel uses Allbirds’s low-carbon and naturally thermoregulating, moisture-wicking, odour-reducing blend of Eucalyptus Tree fibre + Merino Wool.

The brand known for creating the “world’s most comfortable shoes,” using forward-thinking sustainable fabrics like sugarcane and plant-based faux leather, and partnering with global behemoths like Adidas on the shoe with the lowest-ever carbon footprint, has launched its debut collection of workout apparel. Allbirds activewear, coined the Natural Run Apparel line, is here and at its core is the San Francisco-based brand’s commitment to lowering carbon emissions.

Allbirds’s first line of performance apparel, which was designed for all kinds of workouts and rolls out today with six different styles including bike shorts and a cropped tank, uses Allbirds’s low-carbon and naturally thermoregulating, moisture-wicking, odour-reducing blend of Eucalyptus Tree fibre + Merino Wool.

And with the IPCC’s recent report on climate change painting a particularly grim picture of the next 30 years of climate crisis, the environmentally-minded, carbon-conscious collection couldn’t come at a better time.

According to Allbirds, the fabric widely relied upon by the athletic industry — polyester — “runs on enough oil to power 47,000 cruise ships, and spews 700 million tons of carbon (70 million football fields) into the atmosphere on an annual basis.” It also lives permanently on our ocean floors, with polyester producing 14 million tons of microplastics that break down into tiny particles, but will never fully dissipate. Despite this, the fabric is used in 55 percent of all clothing due to its low production costs — and that includes a whole lot of workout gear.

Now, after two years of trials, over 70 iterations and thousands of hours of testing to ensure it met industry benchmarks for breathability, sweat-wicking, quick-drying, and comfort stretch to ensure nothing was compromised in terms of performance or low-carbon impact, Allbirds’s activewear collection has launched. A particular standout is the Natural Legging whose lightweight jersey material was shown in trials to be twice as breathable as top synthetic styles on the market; plus, the leggings *and* bike shorts offer that elusive mid-level of support that makes you feel contained without suffocating. I’m also partial to the Run Short despite not being an actual runner — the breezy silhouette is perfect paired with sneakers and a muscle tee for a day of errands.

It’s also the first fitness collection ever to label its pieces with their carbon numbers. Transparency: we love to see it.

Shop the full Allbirds activewear collection, with styles for men and women and sizes ranging from XS to XXXL, below. Visit allbirds.ca to check out the full colour ranges.