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Allbirds enters the kids’ market with Smallbirds

After battling requests for a line of shoes made for kids, Allbirds has given the punters what they desire and launched a limited edition children’s footwear range called Smallbirds. And in the spirit of creative overachieving, co-founder Joey Zwillinger has written a children’s picture book about a sheep called Sadie Shaves the Day that will be given out for free with each purchase of a pair of shoes.

Allbirds co-founder Tim Brown says the brand has released this limited edition range of kids shoes to appease customers who’ve been lusting after a children’s version for a while. 

“Customers have long been asking when we would introduce a line for kids. Given merino wool’s intrinsic qualities, it made complete sense to move in this direction – it’s soft-to-the-touch, washable, and tailor-made for sensitive, young skin. Plus, the naming options were just too good,” Brown says.

Smallbirds are the same soft and sustainable design as the Allbirds adult version, but just with a smaller footprint. Three colours of the shoe are available – NZ Blue, Kea Red and Natural.

Smallbirds also boasts the fact they’re easily machine washable, which means kids can move their feet, get filthy and explore the outdoors without a care in the world. 

To celebrate the launch, co-founder Zwillinger penned a children’s picture book that celebrates the curiosity, community and courage of a sheep named Sadie.

“We loved the idea of connecting the Smallbirds launch with a playful story about a single person’s ability to make a positive impact on our planet,” says Zwillinger.

The book will be free with purchase for a limited time, and additional copies can be bought online, with all of the proceeds going to charity. 

The limited edition children’s shoe range is the latest stunt by Allbirds this year, following its opening of a second bricks-and-mortar store in New York and successful capital raising of US$17.5 million (approximately $24 million NZD) in Series B funding in September.

The company also hinted at plans to open further stores both in New Zealand and further abroad. 

Since launching just over 18 months ago, the New Zealand born brand has gone from strength to strength, picking up a coveted Best Award, many a celebrity endorsement and rave reviews.

Perhaps most notably, Allbirds shoes have become a cult icon in Silicon Valley and are the footwear of choice among entrepreneurs and those in the tech industry, raising their profile even further. 

When asked about this recently by the New York Observer, Zwillinger said the types of people the shoe’s design was attracting was because there’s a “creative class of people who are on their feet for way longer in the day and working for a lot longer in the day than the traditional work environment. Architects, interior designers, entertainers in music and acting all are loving it in the same kind of way.”

And now, the next generation of young creatives can enjoy donning them too.

  • This story originally appeared on Idealog.

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