The best part of any day might just be the moment when I've made it home and am finally able to slip off a pair of cute (but painful) shoes in favor of a soft pair of slippers or cozy socks.
Can you imagine what it would be like to feel such comfort all day long? I can, because I have a pair of Allbirds Wool Runners.
Allbirds Wool Runners
You may have heard about Allbirds already. They've been called the "world's most comfortable shoe" by Time magazine and praised by countless other publications for their sustainable and stylish approach to the footwear industry. If these other accounts haven't convinced you to take the plunge, here are three reasons to give them another look:
1. They hold up to extended wear and tear
I actually have two pairs of the wool runners. I bought my first pair in April 2017 (I think ... I can't fully remember a time before I owned Allbirds anymore) and they're still in great shape.
I typically wear them to work or running around on the weekend, but they're also the shoes I grab when I know I'm going to be walking long distances. Case in point: I took a trip to Universal Studios and Disney World this past spring and wore Allbirds the entire time. During that trip I walked 30.9 miles in three days and never once complained about my feet hurting. I don't think I could have done it without this comfortable pair of shoes.
At the same time, they were pretty beat up by the end of the weekend. Florida heat combined with sockless feet is not a pretty combination, but when I got home I threw them into the washing machine and a few hours later they were good as new.
2. The comfort really can't be beat
I have no patience for breaking in a pair of shoes, so I was relieved to discover the wool runners were comfortable out the gate. The word "blister" simply doesn't exist when you're wearing these shoes.
They're made from a "superfine merino wool,"according to the company. If that invokes visions of itchy wool sweaters, think again. It's more like a soft pair of socks grounded by a supportive sole.
3. They've become a conversation starter
Owning a pair feels like being in a really happy club. Whenever I come across a fellow Allbirds owner, we inevitably connect over our enthusiasm for the versatile shoe.
I was first introduced to the brand by my dad, who shared his love for the sneakers with my mom and each of my three siblings. I also noticed that all of my friends started wearing them around the same time. I was the last to buy a pair and don't know what took me so long.
"I feel like I must have seen some blogger wearing them and I was in the market for new sneakers. I walk to work and wanted something that was comfortable but didn't look frumpy," my friend Rose Kavanagh said of her decision to get a pair. "That was three years ago and I feel like now most people I know have at least one pair."
Since I started writing this piece, I've also been met with a common refrain from co-workers: "I love my Allbirds."
"I was skeptical that a shoe could live up to so much hype, but Allbirds have become my go-to shoe," TODAY Multimedia Producer Zach Pagano told me. "I feel like I’m walking on clouds when I’m wearing them. What’s not to love about that?"
I couldn't put it better myself.
For more stories like this, check out:
- Allbirds' sold-out flats are finally back in 5 new colors for fall
- The brand behind the 'most comfortable' sneakers just launched a sock line
- 11 of the best casual sneakers for women
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