If you’ve walked around San Francisco, you’ve probably seen them. An eco-friendly and comfortable wool shoe, Allbirds has already developed a cult following in the tech world.
Venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and several people on TechCrunch staff wear them. I’ve never worn a pair but TC’s Megan Rose Dickey, Josh Constine and Andrew Sweeney had good things to say about their shoes.
Hoping to be more than just a fad, Allbirds is now raising $7.25 million in additional funding in a round led by Maveron. Other investors included Lerer Hippeau and Slow Ventures.
They’re also releasing new shoe colors in their existing popular style. Light red and dark blue will be in styles for women. Men are getting light green and black will be available for everyone.
“We don’t think of ourselves as a fashion brand” said Allbirds co-founder and co-CEO Tim Brown, a retired New Zealand soccer player. They aimed to create “comfortable, functional, simple footwear.”
Dan Levitan, managing partner at Maveron, said that Allbirds caught his attention after leaders at other e-commerce brands like Warby Parker and Harry’s flagged it for him. He liked “the product and the commitment to building a brand that sustains and endures around comfort.”
We were told by co-founder and co-CEO Joey Zwillinger that they plan to expand to “different categories of footwear,” introducing at least three more shoes. He also expects the team to move beyond footwear, “building a travel brand more than anything.”
The shoes cost $95 and are available only on the Allbirds website.