*By Michael Teich* Gaining a step on established industry giants like Nike and Adidas can be daunting for the little guys, but the San Francisco-based shoemaker Allbirds has gained a small but promising foothold, said the Wall Street Journal fashion editor Jacob Gallagher. The sneaker company prides itself on producing the "most comfortable shoe in the world," and claims to have sold 1 million of its unassuming kicks since 2016. Though the powerhouse global athletic brands tout collaborations with flashy designers including Kanye West and Alexander Wang, Allbirds has cozied up to shoppers with just three, simple unisex styles of casual shoes and streamlined designs. Allbirds is "a shoe that thrives by being as nothing as possible" and is "the white T-shirt of sneakers," said Gallagher. He tributes the early success of Allbirds to its embrace of Normcore minimalism. Consumers are gravitating toward more comfortable products and dressing more casually, which works for Allbirds, Gallagher said. If trends move away from monochrome simplicity towards flashier, more colorful styles, the two-year-old Allbirds may have to adapt to survive. For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/shoe-start-up-allbirds-bets-that-simple-is-the-new-sexy).

Share:
More In Culture
Manslaughter Charge Against Alec Baldwin Will Be Dismissed
Prosecutors will dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge against Alec Baldwin in the fatal 2021 shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the Western film “ Rust," alluding to new revelations in the investigation while cautioning that Baldwin has not been absolved.
In Case You Missed It: NASA Is Still Looking for Retired Satellite
Cocaine Bear was a hit in theaters earlier this year. Now we've got a real-life "soda bear" in Canada. Local news sources reported that a black bear broke into a car in British Columbia in the middle of the night and started drinking soda, drinking a total of 69 cans.
Load More