Shoe Start-up Allbirds Bets That Simple Is the New Sexy
*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).
Connie Babikian, President of The Pillow Bar, joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss how everyone can benefit from a pillow customized to their unique way of sleeping, what research goes into making a pillow, and how sleep can impact our mental and physical health.
Theo Wilson, host of the 'I Was There' series, joins Cheddar News to talk about taking viewers on immersive trips back in time to some of history's biggest events.
Angie Klein, CEO of Visible, and Melissa Hobley, CMO of OkCupid, join Cheddar News to talk about teaming up to create a singles registry just in time for wedding season.
Ken Grier, associate creative director at Dictador, joins Cheddar News to talk about the company launching NFT enabled luxury spirits and its art-oriented treasury club, ArtHouse Spirits DAO.
Cheddar recs "Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off," "Thermae Romae Novae," "The Bubble," "Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood," "Is It Cake?" and "How To With John Wilson."
The Biden administration is once again extending the pause on federal student loans payments — this time, through the end of August. In a statement, President Biden cited a recent analysis from the Fed that if the payments were to resume, millions of student loan borrowers would face significant "economic hardship, delinquencies, and defaults that could threaten America's financial stability." Sarah Foster, an analyst at Bankrate, breaks down the impact of the extension on borrowers, the economy, and the future of student loan forgiveness. "I think this is just an instance of the federal student loan forbearance program kind of creating additional uncertainty for borrowers, especially in the sense that these past four extensions from the Biden administration have kind of come at the 11th hour here," she said.
Walk into any coffee shop or diner and you’ll spot packets of Sweet ‘n’ Low, Equal, or Splenda sweet right away. And, if you’re someone who uses these sweeteners, you’re not alone. In 2020 alone, 141 million Americans used sugar substitutes. They’re attractively marketed with little to no calories, claims of no weight gain and are supposedly safe for diabetics. But with all the hype comes a history of negative PR and health concerns, including possible cancer links. And yet talk of bans by the US Government have proven ineffective, even inciting chaos.
So how did these small packets become so mighty?
Russian President Vladimir Putin's daughters are sanctioned, Attorney General Merrick Garland has Covid, and Uber wants to be a transportation superhub. Here is all the news you Need2Know for Thursday, April 7, 2022.
U.S. markets closed higher to end Monday's session, with tech stocks leading the advance. Gene Goldman, Chief Investment Officer at Cetera Financial Group, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss the potential future of the major U.S. indexes, and how factors like policy moves from the federal reserve and the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war could impact volatility.
The 2022 Masters Tournament is slated to begin on Thursday, and one of golf's most iconic players is set to return to Augusta National, just 14 months after a devastating car accident. In a press conference, Tiger Woods told reporters that not only is he planning to play in the tournament, but that he also thinks he can win. Cam Rogers, national sports betting and golf analyst, and host of 'Lock It In'
for the Bleav Podcast Network, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
