A new collaboration between footwear brand Allbirds and Jaden Smith’s JUST Water isn’t just for kicks—the proceeds will go to help protect the endangered Amazon rainforests.
The two social enterprises have joined forces to design new limited-edition sneakers inspired by JUST’s infused water flavors. The result: stylish new designs for Allbirds’ Tree Topper high-top sneakers and Tree Runner sneakers. The sneakers feature JUST’s signature aqua blue in various elements of the shoe, such as the laces, eyelets and soles.
Allbirds and JUST are both committed to sustainability and creating products out of natural materials. JUST’s responsibly sourced spring water comes in plant-based cartons, while Allbirds makes its sneakers with fiber material from FSC-certified eucalyptus trees. The latter also manufactures its SweetFoam soles using Brazilian sugar cane.
Jaden Smith, son of actor Will Smith, is an activist and social entrepreneur.
The two companies have said they will donate 100 percent of the sneakers’ proceeds to Leonardo DiCaprio’s Earth Alliance Amazon Forest Fund. DiCaprio is also an Allbirds investor.
“There is only one Mother Earth, and it’s on us to protect her,” Will Smith, JUST cofounder and Jaden Smith’s father, told People.com in early September. Referring to the wildfires that have ravaged the Amazon rainforests, Smith noted, “We source JUST sugarcane caps from Brazil, so this hits especially close to home. Collaborating with businesses who are creating innovative, sustainable solutions are the key to our future, and it’s important that we support these brands who give back more than they take.”
Scientists describe the Amazon, the world’s largest tropical forest, as “the planet’s lungs” because it produces 20 percent of Earth’s oxygen. Preserving the Amazon rainforest is key to combating climate change.
Allbirds’ shoes are made with fiber material from FSC-certified eucalyptus trees.
Allbirds and JUST are both certified B corporations. A certified B corporation is a for-profit corporation that has been certified by B Lab, a nonprofit organization that measures a company’s social and environmental performance against the rigorous standards in the online B Impact Assessment. B Lap uses a triple bottom line framework in assessing B corporations. Triple bottom line refers to a company’s standard of social, environmental and corporate responsibility—that is, the corporation not only turns a profit but it also provides benefits to society and the environment.
“We are legally required to consider the impact of our decisions on our team, customers, suppliers, community and the environment,” Allbirds stated in a Facebook post last month. “We’ve been a B corp since the beginning, and we are proud to be a part of the global movement of people using business as a force for good.”
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