Allbirds

I was excited to get my first pair of Allbirds- the Mizzles toppers. Made in the US, eco friendly and, I'd hoped, not your average comfort shoe looks like clown shoe' style (I'm 5'6" and wear a size 9-9 1/2- clown shoes happen!). I'm also in the last year of my 40's, and needed a good walking shoe that could be worn to work. I order, shoes come in, I put them on and swear (out loud, my office is cool that way), it feels like the blasted arch support is on the OUTSIDE of my foot. Walk a bit and it feels like they really want my tootsies to pronate. The arch, unfortunately, felt nothing- alone and unsupported. So, I go to the website and ask the chat function what's up. The response is short and basically came down to everyone's feet are different, you can return them using this link.' I then asked if there was another arch support choice and after a hello, is this thing on' few minutes- get a yeah, you can use another insole. Apparently they are not the ones who supply said alternate insole. At what amounts to $149, I'm neither impressed with the shoe nor, the website and whoever was on the other side of the chat. I'm not sure if I'll try another insole or just send them back. After reading real reviews (rather than the glowing 5 stars only you see on their site) I'm not entirely confident I won't be put some cash here if I do send them back. I guess we'll see. I've tried numerous other brands and never felt the weird lump on the outside of the foot- it's generally too much or too little under the arch and a made in China tag. These are sadly not supportive IRL as their net hype would have you believe. It's a bummer, I hope they work it out- having a good eco friendly made in US shoe would be great. These are just not the ones.

I think for allbirds, it really depends on the product. This review would have been a 5 if they accepted returns on everything in the first 30 days, but they only do it for their shoes. Huge plus that they sell new insoles for $15, though.

The Socks: They run smaller than the website recommends. I should have fit their M based on their size chart, but it turns out I'm a Large. Once you have opened the packaging to find that out, they are non-refundable/non-exchangable. I called to ask since the sizing being wrong is really their fault, and they said no exchanges/returns for socks. Within a month, there were holes and wear marks all over the socks. Wouldn't buy them again, even in the right size.

The everyday sneakers: Weird fitting! I don't have particularly strange feet, but I could see the outlines of my toes very clearly through the shoes. Like the tops don't have enough height on them in the toe box area. They accepted the return with no questions.

The running shoes: REALLY love my running shoes from allbirds, and recommend them to anyone who asks! I'm usually a 9.5/10, and found that I had to exchange the 9.5s for a 10. While they felt right while trying on at first, my toes on my left foot kept falling asleep after a few miles of running (NEVER had that happen before haha but the 10s did not have that problem). They have held up for their first 4 months, with signs that they need to get replaced pretty soon (I run 5 miles 3-4 times a week; 4 months is a pretty regular interval for me).

The flats: LOVE them! I wear them 2-3 times a week and they are holding up great. I will say, they are a great cute shoe for walking around mildly for short periods, but they will cause chaffing on my back ankle if I walk to far in them. Great comfy going out shoes. Also, if you need arch support, these really are NOT the shoes for you.

There is a reason why AllBirds is in such trouble. I purchased two pairs a few years ago. Within months and with. Minimal light wear the first layer of wool in the shoe disintegrated on the inside and a hole was imminent on both pair. I wrote AB months later when I found the shoes in my closet and was annoyed and they told me it was too late for a refund, return or troubleshooting...despite the fact this was an issue with their product I have a lot of causal and athletic shoes ranging from Nikes, Clarks, Merrells and Converse and never had them fall apart so quickly. Recently (four years later) I pulled out the shoes and wear them for taking the trash out, running to the curb etc. And I got angrier and angrier that these $100 shoes fell apart so quickly. I'd even joined the AB consumer panel b/c I'd hoped to help them improve and I was rooting for an eco company despite getting screwed by them. A colleague noticed my new looking shoes with holes and told he'd had the same problem.I did a google search and wow-these are bad products...the internet overflows with stories about wool and tree runners in the last years and how terrible the company is So I decided to write them again. The rep asked me for a LOT of information including photos. I did all of this. I then got a long note back saying they couldn't do anything because of the time that had passed, that the shoes wear differently for different people. And they had the nerve to say that some AB employees buy new shoes every few months as if this was a solution available to most people. I was really taken aback. This was an utter "Let them eat cake" moment and exactly what you would expect from a company that is so out of touch as AB...I believe companies should stand behind their products and if something is defective and falling apart within a year with very light wear at such a high price point, and its happening to a customer who is clearly taking the time to lay out full details, is rooting for you and sharing loads of customer data the company should fix it. A $100+ pair of shoes should last more than a year. When I responded that a manager would be good they said they'd take the feedback and hope that next time around they could help. Well, there's not going to be a next time. I will never buy a pair and I will make sure I share my experience far and wide. At some point you need to listen to your customers. This is an awful company with an awful product. Just do a google search.

I was so excited when my Albirds arrived. A breathable shoe made of natural, sustainable components - it sounded like a dream come true.

Myth 1: You won't need socks
Truth 1: I have never had a more smelly foot in my entire life than during the 20-some days of wearing the shoe without socks. It does not breathe as promised, so your feet get more sweaty all throughout the day... So, with all due respect, you do need to wear a clean pair of socks with there shoes unless you want to grow a gross bacteria farm on your feet.

Myth 2: Most comfortable shoe in the world
Truth 2: This is the only shoe that I have ever gave me a blister/sore from regular use over such a short period of time. I did not run a marathon. I did not go on a hike. I just used the shoes during the week while working at the office, and it was a painful experience... I tried to make it work by putting medical tape over my heel, which is where the very rough edge inside the shoe had rubbed off my skin.

Myth 3: No negative reviews means that it is a great shoe
Truth 3: Allbirds does not sell through regular channels, such as on Amazon. There is no convenient way to leave an honest review. I literally had to go a site called SiteJabber to leave a review - what about having a place on the Allbirds website where people can leave their reviews, whether they be positive or not positive? What about honesty?... On YouTube and other avenues, some people have kindly taken the time to share their thoughts, and it is a mixed bag. On popular blogs, reviews are shared with affiliate links - those reviews are, of course, all butterflies and rainbows.

It seems that Allbirds is not about actually supplying quality products. Instead, they go to great lengths to use sustainable materials to create, well... a garbage shoe. I got mine refunded. Yet I wonder how many people had a similar experience to my own and who just did not want to take the time to send them back. Or who felt guilting about returning a shoe that is supposedly so wonderful, or so the website claims.

The customer service team was very helpful in getting the return taken care of, but then again, I was only returning the shoe because it was absolutely nothing as described. Perhaps Allbirds is not in the business of selling shoes, but in the business of charging a premium for a shoe product that doesn't work and then controlling the narrative so that only a few people want to do a return. Is that really selling a shoe, or selling a lie?