Just eight months after the breakthrough concept was introduced, we are announcing the commercial launch of FUTURECRAFT.FOOTPRINT. Taking our brands’ collaborative concept shoe from moonshot project t
Source: SCALING UP COLLABORATION TO LEAVE A LASTING FOOTPRINT ON THE SPORTSWEAR INDUSTRY WITH ALLBIRDS
When adidas partnered with Allbirds to develop a more carbon neutral running shoe, Allbirds was a privately held company. Since the collaborative effort began, Allbirds is now a publicly traded company. This makes for a compelling opportunity for discussion on adidas and Allbirds’ partnership and competition. I don’t recall at any point in sneaker brand history where two companies worked together to develop a product. There have obviously been moments where brands shared technology, Nike with Cole Haan and adidas with Reebok, but Nike and adidas both owned those brands respectively. 
Will adidas’ announcement of the release inspire movement with shareholders?
Quick answer, probably not. Wall Street types would have to gain some insight into how this now non-traditional alignment offers insight into a cross brand strategy. That insight would also have to state that adidas may be finding a way to pull back from a brand who is now a direct competitor since the IPO. Allbirds’ share price doesn’t reflect the partnership with adidas. The number of sneakers won’t move the needle financially, but the idea of brands sharing IP is worth considering for those interested in Allbirds’ potential.
“Our ambition is to take FUTURECRAFT.FOOTPRINT from moonshot concept to something that sparks systemic change. We wanted to demonstrate how collaboration and an open-source mindset can create a halo effect across the industry and help make progress towards net zero.”
If Allbirds is capable of monetizing their open-source strategy in some way (I know that’s not how open-source works), it could make the brand’s proprietary control of particular materials a benefit. The problem is smaller brands like Zen Running are already using the same materials, which leads me to question just how much ownership of these new materials and methods does Allbirds have and whether their growth has always been a matter of marketing versus real technical prowess.
Those are questions I need to dive into a bit more, but in the short term, I think adidas may inadvertently lift the boat of Allbirds at a critical time for the brand. The adidas and Allbirds shoe will be the first brand outside of Allbirds carried in their own doors. This sparks a completely different thought for me. Could Allbirds begin to acquire smaller sustainably centered brands to bolster their retail? Use the link to read about this release.
Source: SCALING UP COLLABORATION TO LEAVE A LASTING FOOTPRINT ON THE SPORTSWEAR INDUSTRY WITH ALLBIRDS