Certified Climate Neutral Runners Best Suited for Active Casualwear
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Price: $135
Made In: Vietnam
3.5
Overall
RANKED
#4 out of 8
Performance
People
Planet
Heel Drop: 7mm | Weight: 10.3 oz
Allbirds Tree Dasher 2: Pros & Cons
Great Traction for Short Hikes and Casual Play
High level of transparency with materials and overall carbon footprint
Attractive Look
Machine washable
Bulky, heavier side for running shoes
Limited transparency into supply chain and labor conditions
Tight, Awkward Fit Possible
Allbirds Tree Dasher 2 Review: Performance, People, & Planet
Performance
Best Use:
The Tree Dasher 2s are best suited for casual runners looking for a more sustainable shoe with extra arch support.
From our research and experience, the Allbirds Tree Dasher 2s work great for a 3-mile run, but we’d recommend keeping your sessions short. As much as we want these B Corp running shoes to go the distance, without the ability to tie a true runner’s knot, we don’t recommend long runs.
We tested these Dashers on runs, hikes, and long walks. We even wore them on the tennis court! We determined this Allbirds style was best suited for active casual wear. Short casual runs or weekend tennis or pickleball with friends are perfect uses for the Dashers.
The traction on these Allbirds had them perform really well on the tennis court and on a steep incline hike.
The fit can be a bit awkward and bulky (more on that below), and therefore, none of our testers enjoyed pushing these Tree Dashers beyond the active day-to-day/weekend events.
Durability:
Allbirds shoes are machine washable, and they provide a care guide to ensure you get the most out of your shoes. They recommend using a linen bag or pillowcase and washing on your delicate cycle with cold water.
Just make sure to air dry your shoes. (No tumble drying here, as you’ll shrink the wool).
If your shoes start to lose cushion, they offer replacement insoles and laces.
At the time of this review, these Allbirds Tree Dasher 2s are a new model so there’s limited information available as to how long they last. We’ve logged a few months in these shoes with no damage outside of standard wear and tear to speak of.
Allbirds says they logged “thousands of miles” with more than 90 runners to test the shoe’s performance.
Sizing:
The Allbirds Tree Dasher 2 runs snug on the fit, particularly in the toe box. We found that the fit isn’t the same as other Allbirds shoes, so be careful in buying the same size you wear for a different style.
Annie, for example, got a pair of 6.5 Dashers as she wears a 7 in the Wool Runners and those have a little too much room. The 6.5s were impossibly tight and she had to exchange.
She tested out a 7.5 briefly but felt that was way too large. After exchanging for a 7, she still felt that at first the fit (especially around the toe box) was too tight. However, with time she came to enjoy the fit as is, albeit a bit tight.
Customer service was excellent and the exchange process was seamless, by the way.
Comfort:
n our experience, the shoes can feel a bit clunky; they feel thick and heavy. The toe box is oddly tight. It’s also a little difficult to gauge sizing on these shoes.
At first glance, the shoe appears lightweight, but they’re a little heavier than you’d expect. In our full analysis of sustainable running shoes, these Dashers were the second heaviest shoe on the list (out of 8 shoes reviewed).
These shoes come in at 10.3 oz.
Give yourself some time to break them in. Walk a couple of miles before taking them for a run.
The seamless upper doesn’t allow for extra tightening or tying a runner’s knot. If you like a tighter or more personal fit in that area, you might opt for a different shoe.
The Allbirds Tree Dashers 2s look great without socks, but the earliest wears ended up causing blisters along the archway of the foot. The wool liner on the heel adds comfort, but also seemed to take away some breathability to the shoe in our experience.
The extra arch support on this shoe is significant and noticeable in the shoe. For reference, the heel drop is 7mm.
People
Transparency:
Allbirds is very transparent about the materials in their shoes, including why they use wool and other resources. They also share the Tree Dasher 2’s starting carbon footprint (10.7 kg CO2e) and a factory map.
You’ll even be reminded of that carbon footprint of the shoe on the exterior of the shoebox.
You’ll find a list of materials in the section below.
Labor Practices:
Allbirds provides a map of partners and shares its code of conduct. However, the working conditions aren’t easy to identify.
At Allbirds, third-party auditors assess whether factory working conditions are safe and fair. While Allbirds has a Responsible Sourcing Program to find suppliers, we can’t find a ton of information on the factory workers themselves or whether they receive living wages.
Contribution:
Allbirds partners with Soles4Souls, providing lightly used shoes to people in need.
Planet
Materials:
All Allbirds shoes are carbon-neutral, and the Tree Dasher 2 is no exception. Even as Allbirds invests in carbon projects to offset its carbon impact, it continues to reach for improvements. The Tree Dasher 2’s footprint is 5% less than the original Tree Dasher.
Materials include:
- FSC-certified TENCEL™ Lyocell (eucalyptus tree fiber) upper
- SweetFoam® midsole made with sugarcane-based green EVA
- FSC-certified natural rubber outsole
- Bio-based nylon eyelets
- Shoelaces made from recycled plastic bottles
- Castor bean oil-based insole foam
- ZQ merino wool heel lining*
*Allbirds works with ZQ Merino to protect animal welfare and ensure high farming standards are met.
Shipping & Packaging:
Made of 90% post-consumer cardboard, the packaging minimizes waste and serves as a shoebox and mailer.
By 2025, they plan to shift to 95% ocean shipping (to lower carbon emissions from air transportation).
End of Life:
There isn’t a recycling or end-of-life program in place to make the most of worn-in or retired shoes.
Verdict: Should You Buy the Allbirds Tree Dasher 2s?
Are the Allbirds Tree Dasher 2s worth it?
The Allbirds Tree Dasher 2s are an improvement upon version one. Still a bulkier running shoe, they have cut some weight off V1.0.
They are an attractive running shoe to wear around—suitable for casual weekend activities, but not a high mileage shoe in our experience.
If you’re looking for an attractive and sustainable active casual shoe, the Tree Dasher 2s might be for you. However, in our opinion we do think there are better pure sustainable running shoe options to consider if that’s what you’re looking for.
In our view, Allbirds lacks some important transparency into their supply chain. We’d hope to know more about the labor conditions, and as well, we want more accountability for what happens to their products at the end of their useful life.
All this in mind, we do feel the Allbirds Tree Dasher 2s are a purchase you can feel comfortable with.
There’s room for improvement and we’ll continue to monitor whether Allbirds trends positively on their shortcomings
Where to Buy
→ $135 – Allbirds.com or find an Allbirds store near you, here
Allbirds Tree Dasher 2 Alternatives:
If you’re looking for a truer sustainable running shoe, we’d recommend having a look at Vivobarefoot, or Hylo’s Corn Runners. In our experience each brand has been better suited for a longer-distance runner seeking out a sustainable option.
For our full list of sustainable running shoe options, check out or full post here.
Or, if you’re looking for additional sustainable shoe brands broadly, find that list here.
Disclosure:
With our Buy Ensemble Reviews, our priority is to share honest and objective evaluations of sustainable products. You can learn more about our review process here.
We do want to stress (and we communicate this with any/all brands), the exchange of products does not and cannot influence our reviews.
Tree Dasher 2s
Grow Ensemble received three complementary pairs of Allbirds Tree Dashers 2s to try early before launch.
The shoes were worn and tested by Grow Ensemble Founders, Cory Ames and Annie Bright, as well as another product tester in our community.
Have you had any experience with the Allbirds Tree Dasher 2s? Is there anything that we missed?
Send us a message or leave a comment below. We want our reviews to evolve as we learn more information from our own experience, your experience, and further research.
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