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Can’t decide between a pair of SUAVS vs. Allbirds? With many sustainable shoe brands on the market, knowing which shoe to invest your money in can be challenging.
But don’t worry. We’ve made it easy by comparing SUAVS vs. Allbirds in the article below.
We cover all aspects of SUAVS and Allbirds, including brand sustainability, styles, fit, pros, and cons.
SUAVS vs Allbirds
| SUAVS | Allbirds | |
|---|---|---|
| Brand |  |  |
| What they make | Sneakers and shoes from recycled plastic bottles | Sneakers, running shoes, and slip ons from natural and sustainable materials |
| Price Range | from $76 | from $98 |
| Key Features | •Packable (folds flat) •Breathable and moisture-wicking •Blister free seamless design | • Eco-friendly •Breathable and Moisture-wicking •Comfortable for everyday wear |
| Negatives | •Lack of transparency around where shoes are made | •No Vegan styles available |
| Machine Washable? | ✔ | ✔ |
| Certified B Corp? | ❌ | ✔ |
About Suavs
Suavs is an American shoe brand founded in 2015 by Monxi Garza, whose inspiration behind the stylish travel shoe came from her surroundings and city life. Currently the brand is based in Austin, Texas.
The brand has grown in popularity, thanks to the breathable and lightweight design, combined with the stylish aesthetic.
About Allbirds
Allbirds was founded in 2014 by New Zealand-born Tim Brown and San Fransisco-based Joey Zwillinger. Together they launched Allbirds with the mission to create sustainable shoes from the versatile material Merino Wool.
Fast forward eight years, and Allbirds are one of the most significant sustainable shoe brands worldwide, creating over ten different styles, from everyday shoes to running shoes and slipper styles, in a range of colors and patterns.
What styles does Suavs make?
Currently SUAVS creates four styles of shoe. Below we compare each style in a handy table. We love the Legacy and Barton models as they’re a great alternative to Converse and Vans models.
| Zilker Sneaker | Legacy Hi Top | The Barton | Eddy Slider |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Style |  |  |  |  |
| Materials | •Knitted recycled plastic yarn uppers •Flexible Non-Slip Rubber sol | •Knitted recycled plastic yarn •Cotton laces •Soft Rubber toe cap and rubber sole | •Uppers made from recycled plastic bottles •Flexible, Rubber Outsole | •Band made from knitted recycled plastic •Outsole: 30% Recycled EVA. |
| Vegan? | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Machine Washable? | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Half Sizes? | ✔ | ❌ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Where to buy? | Shop the Zilker Model | Shop The Legacy Model | Shop The Barton Model | Shop the Eddy Slider |
What styles do Allbirds make?
Allbirds are a bigger company than SUAVS and currently make more styles, with over twenty different styles of sustainable sneakers, running shoes, and slip ons.
I’ve personally tested Allbirds Tree Dasher 1, Dasher 2, and the Allbirds Tree Pipers and I really rate the brand. I love how high quality the shoes are and that they’re created from sustainable materials.
Below we’ve compared five of Allbirds best selling styles.
| Tree Runner | Wool Runner | Tree Dasher 2 | Tree Piper | Wool Runner Up Mizzles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Style |  |  |  |  |  |
| Materials | •Eucalyptus tree fibers uppers •Recycled plastic laces •Sugarcane Carbon negative sole | •Breathable ZQ Merino Wool Uppers •Sugarcane Carbon negative sole | •Eucalyptus tree fibers uppers •Recycled plastic laces •Sugarcane Carbon negative sole | •Eucalyptus tree fibers uppers •Recycled plastic laces •Sugarcane Carbon negative sole | •ZQ Merino wool and a bio-based water repellent shield uppers |
| Vegan? | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Machine Washable? | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Half Sizes? | ❌ | ❌ | ✔ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Where to buy? | Shop Tree Runners | Shop Wool Runners | Shop Tree Dasher 2 | Shop Tree Pipers | Shop Runner Up |
Is Suavs sustainable?
While Suavs doesn’t have the sustainability credentials that Allbirds do, Suavs reduces its environmental impact by creating its shoes from recycled plastics.
The knitted uppers of Suavs shoes are made from recycled plastic bottles. So far, Suavs have diverted almost one hundred thousand bottles away from landfills and into their signature thread. In addition, Suavs don’t use any animal products, making its shoes completely vegan.
One Suavs drawback is the lack of transparency around where its shoes are produced, with no information on the factories it partners with or where its shoes are made. We’d like to see more transparent information on their supply chain.
Is Allbirds Sustainable?
Allbirds are considered a sustainable brand. They have achieved and held the B Corp certification since 2016, which details that Allbirds meet high standards of environmental and sustainable production practices.
Allbirds use sustainable, natural, and recycled materials to create their shoes, including eucalyptus tree fibers, responsibly sourced merino wool, and carbon-negative EVA soles from sugarcane.
In addition to using sustainable materials, Allbirds is transparent about where its shoes are made, ensuring they are made ethically and in safe working environments.
Are Suavs good quality?
While we haven’t personally tested SUAVs, the reviews across the web are good, with the popular Zilker sneaker scoring an average rating of 4.8/5 out of over eight hundred reviews.
Many reviewers love the lightweight and breathable aspect of Suav shoes. Other customers comment on the ease of cleaning and love that Suavs are machine washable.
A pro for Suavs is that the shoes are available in half sizes, which Allbirds currently doesn’t offer.
Is Allbirds good quality?
We’ve personally tested both the Allbirds Tree Dasher and Tree Piper styles and can confirm they’re good quality and durable. Having worn almost every day for a year, the Tree Dasher style has held its shape and shows little wearing on the sole.
Other customers also agree with the popular Tree Runner style scoring an average rating of 4.6/5 with over three thousand reviews.
Reviews on the website also indicate that Allbirds fit true to size. However, if you’re a half size, the brand recommends you size down. We agree with this as we sized down in our Allbirds Dashers, and they fit perfectly.
Drawbacks of Suavs Shoes
A couple of negatives we’ve picked up on Suavs shoes is that some reviewers say that the Suvvs Zilker model has limited arch support and may not be suitable for those needing extra support. However, the insole of Suavs is removable, so you can swap out the insoles for a more supportive insole if required.
Another con we’ve found is the limited color choice in the Suavs slip-on models; currently, the Barton model only comes in either black with white or gum soles.
Drawbacks of Allbirds Shoes
One main drawback of Allbirds shoes is that the brand currently doesn’t produce any vegan-friendly styles; this is because of their use of merino wool and other animal products.
Another Allbirds con is that the shoe brand doesn’t offer half sizes in all styles yet. We recommend sizing down if you’re a half size, but it would be good to see Allbirds producing half sizes across all styles.
Wrapping Up: SUAVS vs. Allbirds
Both SUAVS and Allbirds are creating travel-friendly shoes which feature sustainable materials.
If you want to choose a brand for its sustainable practices and ethical production, I would personally opt for Allbirds over Suavs. The reason is that Allbirds has more established sustainability credentials being a B Corp, has a greater focus on the use of eco-friendly materials, and is transparent about where its shoes are made.
If you enjoyed this post and still haven’t made your decision on which sustainable shoes to buy, check out our guides on the best Allbirds alternatives, and other comparisons in our vs. series including Vessi, Atoms, Tropicfeel, and Cariuma.
