The rise of the rebel brands

TYPE THE brand Allbirds into Amazon and any number of woolly shoes are displayed. None, though, belongs to the San Francisco-based shoemaker whose Merino-wool sneakers began the trend. Joey Zwillinger, Allbirds’ co-founder, grumbles about what he calls the “knock-off” shoes he sees on Amazon. But he says that, since the company first started selling online in 2016, it has avoided the online giant, as well as physical wholesalers like Shoe Locker. That strategy is revolutionary in the global shoe industry, with revenues of $80bn in America alone. The rationale is that by avoiding middlemen, whether online or offline, Allbirds can invest in more sustainable materials that go down well with its rich, techie clientele. It also helps it keep tabs on its customers.