Cariuma vs Allbirds: Which Sustainable Shoe Is Best?

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Are you looking for a pair of sustainable sneakers but can’t decide between Cariuma vs. Allbirds? Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered.

Both brands have earned kudos in the sustainable shoe market for their eco-friendly and ethical shoes, but which shoe brand is right for you?

We compare Cariuma vs. Allbirds, looking at the brand sustainability, how the shoes fit, and the styles both shoe brands create.

Let’s jump in.

	Cariuma	Allbirds
Brand
What They Make	Sustainable sneakers and ethical shoes for men and women	Sustainable sneakers, running shoes, and slippers for men, women, and kids
Price Range	from $79	from $98
Key Features	•Natural, eco-friendly materials •Great color and style selection	•Sustainable materials •Machine washable •Versatile styles
Certified B Corporation?	✔	✔
Vegan Styles Available?	✔	❌
Eco-friendly materials?	✔	✔

Cariuma was founded in 2018 in Rio, Brazil, by David Python and Fernando Porto, two friends with a passion for board sports.

The two founders saw the lack of sustainable shoes capable of living up to the demands of everyday wear and skating and wanted to transform the sneaker industry by creating sneakers that were actually comfortable and sustainable.

Fast forward four years, the brand has remained true to its ethos of sustainable skate shoes and has released seven styles of cool sustainable sneaker retailing on its website. Cariuma ships worldwide.

Allbirds was launched in San Francisco in 2014 by founders Tim Brown and Joey Zwillinger.

Native New-Zealander Tim Brown saw how versatile and sustainable New-Zealand Merino wool was and wondered why it was virtually absent in the footwear industry. So he teamed up with San Franciscan Joey, a sustainability pioneer, to create one of the world’s most sustainable sneakers.

Eight years into the business, Allbirds have set the standard of sustainable sneakers and now have created a range of ethical shoes, sneakers, flats, and slip-on shoes for men, women, and children.

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Cariuma is a brand with roots focused on sustainability. Cariuma achieved B Corporation status in 2021, thanks to its sustainable production model, from responsible materials sourcing to ethical manufacturing and environmental protection.

Cariuma uses sustainable materials, including organic cotton, natural rubber, cork insoles, responsibly sourced LWG leather and suede, and recycled plastic to create its signature styles. Plus, the brand uses 100% recyclable and recycled packaging to ship its shoes.

Through the brand’s reforestation initiative, which focuses on restoring biodiversity and the carbon-capturing potential of the Brazilian rainforest, Cariuma will plant two trees for every pair of Cariuma’s purchased.

Allbirds have focused on building a sustainable shoe brand since day one. The brand has been a Certified B Corp since 2016, meaning they balance people and the environment over profits.

Allbirds use sustainable and natural materials, including ZQ merino-wool, sugarcane EVA, and Eucalyptus fibers, to craft their comfortable sneakers and running shoe styles.

Plus, Allbirds works to reduce its carbon emissions by offsetting all the CO2 produced in its supply chain and shipping through carbon offset initiatives such as renewable energy and wind farm projects.

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Overall the reviews of Cariuma are incredibly positive, with over five thousand five star reviews.

A call out that many customers point out is that Cariuma shoes are extremely comfortable, high quality, and well made. In addition, the Cariuma shoes are versatile and can be dressed up or down.

Other reviewers also mention that for a skate-style shoe with a flat sole, Cariuma shoes offer good sole support compared to other competitors such as Converse and Vans.

We’ve tested both the Allbirds Tree Dasher and Tree Piper and can tell you first hand that Allbirds shoes are good quality.

We’ve had our pairs (both pairs gifted) for over a year now and worn them pretty much every day, and they still look brand new, with no wearing down of the sole and no signs of wear or tear.

The high quality of Allbirds shoes is backed up with reviews on the Allbirds website, with the popular Tree Runner style receiving an average score of 4.6 with over three thousand reviews.

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❌ While there are pros and cons to every shoe, some negative comments from customers mention Cariuma’s can cause blisters after the first few years; however, the shoes usually break in quickly after a couple of wears.

❌ Also, a note on the price point; Cariuma’s are slightly pricier than other skate shoes. However, the brand’s eco-friendly production practices, use of sustainable materials, and ethical manufacturing go above and beyond competitors in the market.

❌ One of the drawbacks of Allbirds sneakers is that not all styles are waterproof. The brand does have a water-resistant shoe with the Mizzles range, which is water-resistant; however, if you’re looking for a completely waterproof style, Allbirds doesn’t yet offer.

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Cariuma says their shoes run true to size, although the brand recommends sizing up if you’re a half size. This point is also echoed in the overall reviews of Cariuma shoes.

Allbirds fit true to size; however, if you are in-between sizes, Allbirds recommends sizing down.

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❌ No, Cariuma uses leather and suede for its leather sneaker styles, meaning the brand isn’t entirely vegan. However, Cariuma does produce vegan shoe styles, with 65% of Cariumas’s range being vegan, including the vegan suede Caturi boot, and OCA low in fabric.

❌ Allbirds use Merino-wool in its shoe styles which means the brand isn’t vegan. Allbirds don’t have any shoe styles suitable for vegans.

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Cariuma produce seven styles of ethical sneakers. In the following table we compare five popular Cariuma styles.

	Cariuma OCA Low	Cariuma OCA High	Cariuma Salvas	Cariuma CATIBA Pro	Cariuma IBI
Style
Materials	•Organic Cotton Canvas Upper •Natural Rubber Sole •Cork insole	•Organic Cotton Canvas Upper – also available in leather and suede •Natural Rubber Sole •Cork insole	•LWG leather uppers •Slip resistant natural rubber sole •Recycled plastic laces	•Suede & organic cotton canvas uppers •Slip resistant natural rubber sole	•Bamboo knit uppers •Carbon Negative Sugarcane Green EVA Soles
Vegan Styles?	✔	✔	❌	❌	✔
Machine washable?	❌	❌	❌	❌	✔
Price	from $79	from $98	from $98	from $89	from $98
Where to buy?	Shop OCA Low	Shop OCA High	Shop Salvas	Shop CATIBA Pro	Shop IBI

Allbirds produce a range of shoe styles. Below we compare five popular Allbirds styles.

	Wool Runners	Tree Pipers	Wool Runner Mizzles	Tree Runners	Tree Dashers
Style
Material	•Merino Wool Uppers •Carbon negative green EVA soles	•Eucalyptus Tree Fiber Uppers •Carbon negative green EVA soles	•Merino Wool uppers •Carbon negative green EVA soles	•Natural Eucalyptus Tree Fibers •Carbon negative green EVA soles	•Renewable, durable and breathable Tree material •Carbon negative green EVA soles
Water Resistant	❌	❌	✔	❌	❌
Machine Washable?	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Price	$98	$105	$98	$115	$125
Where To Buy	Shop Wool Runners	Shop Tree Pipers	Shop Wool Runner Mizzles	Shop Tree Runners	Shop Tree Dashers

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While there are pros and cons to each brand, it’s clear that both brands are creating sustainable and ethical sneakers from sustainable materials.

Both brands are B Corporations, meaning they balance people and the planet over profits.

If you’re looking for vegan sneakers, the Cariuma OCA or IBI styles are a good choice. 65% of Cariuma’s shoes are vegan, and currently, Allbirds doesn’t create any vegan styles.

If you’re looking for shoes you can run in and walk long distances, we would personally recommend Allbirds Tree Dashers. The popular running shoe is suitable for mid distances and comfortable walking long distances.

Overall, both shoes create stylish and sustainable shoes, so whichever brand you choose, you know you’re supporting a shoe brand that cares for both people and the planet.

If you’re still looking for other Allbirds alternatives, or want to compare other shoes like Allbirds, check out our other comparisons on Vessi, Atoms, Tropicfeel, and Rothy’s.