The RW Takeaway: Allbirds’s signature comfy fit meets a hardy upper and outsole for weathering rugged terrain in the Trail Runner SWT.
Price: $138
Type: Trail
Available: Now
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Pros
- Made of natural, recycled, and bio-based materials
- Soft midsole absorbs impact
Cons
- Heavy and slightly clunky
Last year, Allbirds launched its first running shoe, the Tree Dasher. The trainer embodies all we love about the brand’s walking shoes, which are ironically called Wool Runners. Like the ingredients in a made-from-scratch homestyle recipe, the shoes’ components are natural, simple, and familiar—the upper materials include merino wool and eucalyptus tree fibers.
This summer, the brand announced its Run Natural Collection. The inevitable follow-up after a road shoe and apparel line was a grittier trainer meant for the trail. I had a chance to test run the new Trail Runner SWT before its release.
Sustainably Made, Environmentally Friendly
To achieve the desired result, the Allbirds’s team went through 10 Trail Runner prototypes. Almost every element of the shoe is either natural, recycled, or bio-based. As a matter of fact, SWT stands for “sugarcane, wool, tree.” The shoe has the same DNA as its road shoe counterpart. Like the Tree Dasher, the Trail Runner has a sugarcane SweetFoam midsole, which provides generous—but not squishy—cushioning that buffers pounding on the road, and now the trail, too.
Sheltering your foot is a merino wool and recycled ripstop polyester upper. Bio-based nylon eyelets, a bio-based TPU heel counter, and shoelaces made of recycled plastic bottles outfit the shoe’s durable, yet sock-like exterior.
I’ve been slipping on the SWT without untying the laces—usually that’s a big “don’t” for runners. But the ribbed heel collar allows your foot to enter the shoe seamlessly, and hugs your ankle securely as you run. The overall fit is accommodating and true-to-size, which is fortunate since tightening those round spaghetti-like laces doesn’t really make much of a difference in terms of locking down your foot. I also noticed the initial stiffness of the upper. My first impression was that these shoes looked and felt like stylish hiking boots; there’s a short break-in period, but the upper will eventually give without losing its snugness.
The outsole uses FSC-certified natural rubber. Instead of sporting pronounced, fang-like lugs, the bottom of the shoe is patterned with curved shapes that, according to Allbirds, mimic jelly beans. In my carb- and snacks-focused brain during marathon training, however, those surprisingly grippy lugs resemble cheese puffs or macaronis. (Hence, why I refer to the Trail Runner SWT as my “mac’n’cheese” shoes.) The pattern is inspired by bike treads, the brand projecting the idea of “rolling through nature instead of clawing it.”
When to Lace Up
Similar to the Tree Dasher, I found the Trail Runner slightly heavy during my run, but not cumbersome. This beefier build didn’t sap the energy from my workout. I cruised up and down rolling hills on an eight-minute-paced five miler, and felt stable over rocks and other debris.
It is by no means a racing shoe nor meant for ultra distances, but the Trail Runner is dependable for easy runs and recovery days. Allbirds’s cozy cushioning is irresistible. (I keep the shoes by my front door so I can slip them on before I run out for errands.) Certainly, there’s room for improvement; like the Tree Dasher, the Trail Runner feels responsive, but still a bit clunky. Though initially stiff, the shoe provides enough flex for a fast kick.
Amanda is a test editor at Runner’s World who has run the Boston Marathon every year since 2013; she's a former professional baker with a master’s in gastronomy and she carb-loads on snickerdoodles.
