We love Allbirds (read our full Allbirds Review) on We Tried It! But we realized that we’ve never talked about the Allbirds Tree Runners. So, let’s dive into our Allbirds Tree Runners Review: are they the best Allbirds out there? Let’s go.
Allbirds Tree Runners: What are they made of?
As the name implies, Allbirds Tree Runners (and all of their “tree” shoes) are made out of, you guessed it, trees!
If that makes you think of splinters in your feet, have no fear. Technically, the Allbirds Tree shoes are made of TENCEL™ Lyocell – which I’d never heard of before. It doesn’t look like bark at all, instead, it looks like this:
One of the best part of the Tree Runners is that they still have the wool sole inside of the shoe that Allbirds has come to be known for.
As you can see in the image below, the Allbirds are made of a fiber of the tree that allows for a lot of air to pass through the shoe.
The first thing you might be thinking is, “Are the Tree Runners” cold? I don’t think so. I wouldn’t wear them in the snow or outside for very long, but the wool inside keeps your feet nice and warm. I don’t feel a “breeze” in these shoes.
How do these compare to other Allbirds?
We have a ton of pairs of Allbirds in our home, from the SMALLBirds to the OG Wool Runners to the Tree Skippers to the Mizzles (read our Mizzles Review and Smallbirds Review). So, we have a lot to compare these Tree Runners to.
For Mr. We Tried It – these are simply my favorite Allbirds for a couple of reasons.
As I famously misspoke in our original Allbirds Review – the Wool shoes have some issues with keeping the shape in the toe area over time. In both of my Allbirds made with Trees, I’m happy to report that the Tree Runners and the Tree Skippers keep their toe shape MUCH better than the Wool Runners.
You can see the difference over time between the two pairs. Frankly, I don’t wear the Allbirds Wool Runners as much because I’m worried about the toe box breaking down even more over time. The Tree Runners have held their shape a lot better than the Wool Runners. While I’ve had the Wool Runners longer, I’ve worn the Tree Runner 3-4x more than the Wool Runners.
Long story short: the Tree Material holds up better than the wool material.
Allbirds Tree Runners: What don’t we like?
If we had to pick something we don’t like about the Tree Runners – it’s REALLY, REALLY small. I have the “Nikau Concrete” Allbirds Tree Runners, which aren’t available anymore. They were supposed to be a grey color – and they are grey, but just KINDA grey. They almost have a purple-ish tint to them. It looks like they’ve updated the color to Mist, which looks like more of a true grey.
The one thing that is great about the Wool Runners is that the color isn’t consistent across the shoe – so it can go with many different colors. For example, I love my Myles Tour Pants in Slate (Grey).
They don’t go well with my Nikau Tree Runners, but they go great with the OG Allbirds – the Wool Runners.
Allbirds Tree Runners Review: How to style
The Allbirds Tree Runners go with just about anything that is more on the casual side. Mr. We Tried It frequently wears his Allbirds Tree Runners with his Duer Jeans or ABC Pants. During the summer, these shoes are perfect to wear with shorts, too.
Even better, during the summer Mr. We Tried It can be seen wearing the other main tree style from Allbirds – the Tree Skipper. These are very similar to the Allbirds Tree Runners but are lighter-weight and don’t offer as much support as the Tree Runners.
Allbirds Tree Runners vs. Wool Runners?
This is a tough one. The Wool Runners are warmer but don’t hold up as well over time. If you are looking for a more casual, cooler and longer-lasting shoe – try the Tree Runners. If you are looking for something more classic and warm, go for the Wool Runners.
Allbirds Tree Runners Review: The Final Verdict
As we’ve mentioned many times, we love Allbirds! The Tree Runners are no different. Mr. We Tried It thinks they are the best Allbirds Shoe. Mrs. We Tried It likes the Tree Runners, too – but doesn’t currently own a pair.
If you are looking for a versatile, casual shoe, you can’t go wrong with the Allbirds Tree Runners – they are comfortable, stylish, lightweight and are even washable. We’re proud to give the Allbirds Tree Runners our We Tried It Approved stamp!
