Although it takes purpose at a extra fleet distance shoe, Allbirds provides rise to a extra secure, comfy line of all-fitness footwear.
Leaping, juking, stepping, and planting — I discover myself frequently reaching for the Allbirds Tree Flyer for every day power, conditioning, and agility exercises. Hassle is, that’s not its designed operate. By its personal account, Allbirds constructed its newest foray into efficiency footwear for sooner, longer runs.
“Extra Bounce, Much less Ounce: the Tree Flyer is a high-performance dream for distance operating,” the model’s teaser for the Tree Flyer reads. However whereas the Flyer, launching worldwide at the moment, certainly trims almost a full ounce off the model’s final massive operating launch (the Tree Dasher 2.0), I simply haven’t fallen in love with it as a running-specific shoe.
Ordinarily, that may relegate it to the key and ever-growing pile of not-reviewed footwear — an odiferous mound of ignominious torture-tested kicks festering someplace in a forgotten storage loft at GJ HQ. However the Tree Flyer holds a redemptive secret: It’s a damned good all-around health shoe.
I’ve been sporting a pair of Tree Flyers ($160) for every day exercises — I combine it up with stair runs, agility exercises, and gymnasium routines — for a couple of month. And I’ve labored them in as a mainstay when situations are good.
Briefly: Allbirds’ trademark pure and lower-impact supplies and development processes give the Tree Flyer superior consolation in scorching situations, and unequalled peace of thoughts for a product class usually outlined by high-waste, high-impact manufacturing.
The Tree Flyer presents superior assist and match over its predecessors, and exemplary breathability — leading to a very comfy, dependable pair of footwear for every day health routines. The knock is that for critical runners, the Tree Flyer can’t fairly compete with established operating shoe manufacturers relating to massive consolation and pace over massive miles.
Allbirds Tree Flyer Evaluation
I suppose there are two methods to assessment this shoe. The primary is how effectively it stacks as much as its personal promoting.
Allbirds markets the Tree Flyer as a “mild,” “springy” shoe constructed for distance operating. I can attest to the shoe’s svelte weight; it is available in at slightly below 9.5 ounces for a males’s measurement 9. So, it’s loads light-weight — that checks out.
However springy? Allbirds claims it retooled its midsole with new processes and substances. Whereas the Tree Dasher line used SweetFoam, the Flyer boasts “SwiftFoam” — marketed as 30% lighter and with 70% higher rebound. As famous, the froth contributes to the notable absence of grams.
However as for its “springy” power return, it didn’t really feel as dramatic as I’d hoped. And in comparison with the likes of HOKA, Altra, Brooks, and different main gamers within the devoted operating area, the SwiftFoam — extra environmentally pleasing although it’s — doesn’t fairly maintain tempo.
A word on its eco-friendly story: SwiftFoam makes use of a mix of recycled supplies and castor bean oil resin. So it actually provides a constructive twist to the midsole, typically the extra nefarious aspect in shoe manufacturing.
Fly Into Health
Nevertheless, as I discussed, there’s one other technique to consider these footwear. How do they carry out outdoors of their designed goal? That is the place the Tree Flyer soars.
Allbirds additionally revamped the higher design and development. It nonetheless makes use of its knit eucalyptus tree fiber — nonetheless the Holy Grail of breathable supplies — however gives a sleeker and extra supportive match than the Tree Dasher.
The model additionally flared out the heel, including total stability and steadiness to the shoe, and constructed impartial traction channels to the pure rubber outsole. What does that imply functionally?
The supportive higher, secure silhouette and “bitey” sole make for a splendidly pliant and supportive shoe that performs nice in agility workouts — suppose up and down stairs, field jumps, calisthenics, and even leaping rope.
It’s additionally value noting that Allbirds opted for an aggressive stance with the Tree Flyer. It has a 30.5mm to 22mm heel-toe stack — a noticeable 8.5mm drop. The impact is a extra forward-leaning foot place that retains you in your toes and, from my testing, helps keep high-tempo footwork.
Clear for Touchdown
The Tree Flyer is not going to exchange my tried-and-true trainers (in all probability to the chagrin of the Allbirds advertising and marketing and design staff). However — and that’s a giant however — it would stay in my secure of every day exercise put on. Strictly as a runner, I prefer it somewhat higher than the Tree Dashers I’ve additionally run in. In any case, it’s noticeably mild and a bit extra supportive.
However the place this shoe completely shines is in high-intensity exercises, the place ft can get sweaty and footwork is different. It’s secure, breathable, and aggressive — and for that, I name it a winner.
