Well, it’s the first day of 2022.
Seems like the perfect procrastinated moment to share the only sneakers I bought in 2021.
INTRODUCING MY NEW
Allbirds
WOOL RUNNERS
Over the last few years, I’ve limited my personal consumerism. For this lifelong sneakerhead, that means I’m buying WAY less. In 2020, I only got one fresh set of kicks.
In 2021, I took it a step further and only bought one pair eco-conscious shoes.
It’s been over a decade since I’ve bought a pair of non-Nike sneakers. But I’ve been looking to make big changes in the footprint I leave behind.
To put these nature-friendly Runners to the test, I visited one of America’s dirtiest (and best) cities:
NEW ORLEANS
New Orleans is more than just a place to party. It’s an American portal to a European town that never existed. It’s also one of my favorite destinations in the US, and I’ve never been (and will never go) to Mardi Gras.
Unlike the vibrant city, Allbirds are no-frills, no-flash.
Somehow they feel like a breath of fresh air at this moment in my life.
They are simple, straight forward. Easy to pack and great for exploring.
One thing that sets Allbirds apart is their materials. These little cuties in particular are made out of Merino wool, sugar cane, castor beans and recycled polyester. Their carbon footprint is 9.9 kg CO2e, which will hopefully spread out over their long life.
In Allbirds, I wear a half a size up from my typical Nike size.
Allbirds is dedicated to the environment beyond the materials they use.
they look to minimize:
- energy wasted during manufacturing
- shipping and transportation
they look to maximize:
- the years customers keep their shoes
- recycling
Allbirds prides themselves in using materials found in nature.
Synthetic alternatives come at a much higher environmental cost.
Limiting environmental impact is important everywhere, but especially in the cities most affected by global warming. New Orleans is one of our country’s most vulnerable locations because of its low elevation and positioning in the hurricane hotspot.
The BIG EASY is full of history and life.
It’s also full of water, especially along the Mississippi River Delta.
In fact, the ground is sinking about 2 inches every year.
The BIG QUESTION is:
What can we do curb global warming?
Over 30 miles later,
my Wool Runners held up well.
Any thoughts on what pair of sneakers I should look into for 2022? Always looking for green alternatives.
Want to see more?
Check out my NOLA past:
- my NOLA 29th BIRTHDAY
- my friends’ NOLA Nuptials
- my first NOLA XMAS
- my second NOLA XMAS
for the love of nike 
Thanks for the lovely photos of New Orleans, and for the info about eco-friendly sneakers. We all need to think about cutting our carbon footprint. Hopefully we can make a lot more progress on this in 2022. Best wishes for the new year.
Thanks so much! New Orleans is such a great city. And so far, I’m liking the new sneakers. I’ve walked about 60 miles in the last few weeks and they’re comfortable!
I just love all of your sneakers hands down Jenny! It seems like you had some real good time during your travel.
Thanks so much!