Allbirds Tree Dasher 2 | Review
The arrival of these Tree Dasher 2’s from Allbirds was the motivation I needed to get back to moving my body for the first time really (minus the failure to see Joe Wicks workouts through as part of my new year’s resolution in 2021) since I’ve had the kids.
I’d bought various pairs of trainers off eBay in those years but never quite found the right fit and umm’d and ahh’d about which sort of trainers I would need for casual runs wanting to invest in something that would last and so with too many excuses and with Allbirds contacting me to send me a pair of their Tree Dasher 2s, launched earlier this year and I jumped at the chance.
I put them on and my long-forgotten running gear, signed up for day 1 of couch to 5k (a very humbling experience) and got to running- thanks Denise Lewis.
My instant thought was how secure my foot felt, having dealt with dropped arches in the past and weak ankles, I felt really supported. The trainer itself is unbelievably light and flexible thanks to its SweetFoam® midsole made with sugarcane. For someone who anticipated being really heavy-footed when running, I was surprised how much easier it felt, the angular base (as you can see from the pictures) also helped with this, softening the impact.
The Tree Dasher 2 is the next evolution of their everyday running shoe, there is more responsive foam and extra grip. They are thought to be best for everyday runs and light workouts. I don’t know how the shoe would fare on longer more intense runs but it’s perfect for me at this current stage with no marathons on the horizon hah!
I deliberated for a long time about which colour to commit to (any enneagrams 9 here?). My default is always to choose black but I went with the hazy cocoa, I believe it’s a limited edition and I am so happy with the choice! There are 6 other colours to choose from.
Usually a 5, I went for a 5.5 which is my usual experience when buying trainers, and, while they fit completely fine I would recommend buying true to size, especially if you don’t want to wear socks like I’ve been doing- I would definitely be able to fit into a 5 just fine.
The trainers themselves are made in Vietnam - Allbirds share a detailed audit and evaluation process on their website which I value. You can learn about their operations here: our operations
Sustainability wise The Tree Dasher 2 is carbon neutral for a few reasons. Firstly for their choice of materials as you can see below.
FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)-certified TENCEL™ Lyocell (eucalyptus tree fibre) upper (the trainers are machine washable)
SweetFoam® midsole made with sugarcane-based green EVA
FSC-certified natural rubber outsole
Bio-based nylon eyelets
Shoe laces made from recycled plastic bottles
Castor bean oil-based insole foam
Secondly, Allbirds fund projects across three sectors: Land, Energy, and Air. But even before they balance the emissions, the Tree Dasher 2 footprint starts at 10.7 kg CO2e (a 5% reduction from the original Tree Dasher). You can learn more about carbon footprint labelling and their commitments to reduce their impact.
Allbirds is a New Zealand- American company that sells both shoes and clothes for men and women and ships Worldwide. They became known first for their merino wool running shoe. They are a certified BCORP, lightly used Allbirds get sent to those who need them, and they pay a fair wage to their workers.
They have an amazing new collection of Sugar Zeffers and Sugar Sliders made from sugarcane just in time for summer!
The shoes currently retail for £120 and while there are definitely cheaper running shoes out there, in the league of ethical and sustainable shoes which is where my allegiance always lies, lined up against the other players such as vivobarefoot, Giesswein, hylo athletics and the veja condors, they sit in the middle pricing wise.
They are great company in my opinion, and a pair of Allbirds is well worth investing in.
If you haven’t read my blog on ethical footwear you can take a look here.
nb. shoes were a gift from Allbirds.