San Francisco-based sneaker startup Allbirds launches a partner-focused LA pop-up

By

Rebecca Taras

Published
Jul 13, 2017

In partnership with three lifestyle brands out of Los Angeles, San-Francisco-based men’s and women’s shoe startup Allbirds launched a pop-up shop this week in Grand Central Market on Broadway in downtown L.A.

Allbirds—a fashion-forward, non-performance sneaker line—is the brainchild of Tim Brown, a Brit-born former pro soccer player from New Zealand. In just three short years, Brown has gone from launching a Kickstarter campaign that raised $120,000 to capturing the attention of investors like Maveron (a fund backed by former Starbucks chief executive Howard Schultz), who backed up the footwear company with a cool $7.25 million.

For the Los Angeles pop-up, Allbirds partnered with three non-fashion brands—P.F. Candle Co., Wexler’s Deli and wood furniture company Boyce Studio—all of which are selling items that give a nod to the Allbirds brand (think a candle inspired by the Otago region of New Zealand where the company sources its wool.)

And, of course, Allbirds will be retailing its machine-washable kicks ($95) that are comprised of material made from wool produced by celebrated Italian woolen mill Reda—which also facilitates luxury brands like Tom Ford and Giorgio Armani. Allbirds sneakers have garnered the attention of several celebrities, including Ryan Gosling, Emma Watson, Matthew McConaughey and wife Camila Alves.
 
Allbirds opened its first brick-and-mortar store in San Francisco back in May and plans to host another pop-up shop in New York’s SoHo neighborhood this fall.
 
The L.A. pop-up shop will be open through July 31.