Five years ago, the words merino wool and shoes hardly featured together. Then New Zealander Tim Brown launched a Kickstarter campaign to make footwear from natural fabric, and raised nearly $1,20,000 in five days for his Wool Runners, which sold out instantly. The star of the show... err, shoe was merino wool, made from the fleece of Merino sheep from New Zealand. Wool Runners’ success encouraged Brown to start his company, Allbirds, in 2016, kicking off a global wool-shoe trend.
- Naturally breathable — it absorbs moisture and lets it evaporate
- Keeps you warm in winter and cool in summer
- Therapeutic for eczema patients
- Wool has lanolin, which gives it anti-bacterial properties
- Lanolin also helps prevent bad odour
- 100% renewable — the sheep produce new wool every year
- 100% biodegradable — it decomposes naturally
Cut to 2019. Allbirds is valued at $1.4 billion, international companies such as Baabuk, Giesswein and Le Mounton are making their own varieties, and myriad start-ups have cropped up. This includes India’s own Neeman’s, a Hyderabad-based outfit that makes fashionable, eco-friendly merino sneakers. Co-founded by brothers — Taran Chhabra, who specialised in business analytics in the US, and Amar Preet Singh, with over 15 years experience in start-ups — it turns out a trip abroad sparked the idea. “Taran had packed four pairs of shoes for a single trip (running, casual and lounging shoes, along with an extra pair). We ended up wondering why we needed so many,” says Singh. Two years of research, and a determination to be sustainable, led the duo to merino wool.
Not just wool gathering
“The material is known for its moisture management,” says Dilip Gianchandani, Country Manager, The Woolmark Company (TWC) — a subsidiary of the non-profit Australian Wool Innovation, which conducts R&D and markets Australian merino wool — one of the first people Neeman’s turned to. “Merino wool is very breathable, so it keeps you warm in the winter and cool in summers. That’s not something a lot of people are aware of,” he adds.
At Neeman’s, the upper layer of their shoes are made of merino wool fabric, while the inner sole is made of castor dean oil. The outer sole, however, is a combination of polymers, rubber and other synthetic materials. “It’s not 100% natural right now, but we’re working on it,” says Singh.
Elsewhere, California-based Athletic Propulsion Labs also recently launched an 80% merino wool running shoe, in partnership with TWC. UK-based Felts Health Shoes, on the other hand, promises 100% natural merino wool slip-on shoes — the soles are made of nettle fabric. This Kickstarter project has just finished shipping its first batch, which are handmade in Nepal. “It is naturally dirt, fire and water resistant, and it has skin-friendly lanolin (wool oil). It is easy to keep clean, and your feet and shoes are always fresh,” adds Antii Kejonen, the man behind Felts Health.
Eco comeback
One of the main reasons why wool is making a comeback, feels Gianchandani, is the increasing awareness of the cost to environment. “There is a growing demand for performance products that are also natural and eco-friendly. And wool ticks all those boxes,” he says.
When Chhabra and Singh travelled abroad to shoe manufacturing hubs like Italy, Australia and Germany, they found that a single pair took about 40 years to decompose in a landfill. “Also, conventional materials, especially leather and synthetic fabrics, involve a lot of processing. Not to mention the use of plastics and the resultant pollutants that are released into the environment,” says Singh. “Footwear companies use these materials because of cost and ease of mass manufacturing.”
While this is a niche industry now, interest is growing. India is already the third biggest importer of wool from Australia, after China and the European Union, a trade that is valued at around 216 billion AUD, according to the Australian Bureau of Agriculture. “This is a new category and there are not a lot of brands doing this yet, as larger players have not fully embraced this,” says Gianchandani.
But Neeman’s seems to have got a foot in the door. The bootstrapped company — which sells only men’s loafers, sneakers and joggers online for now (from ₹6,500 onwards on neemans.com) — may have launched last October, but they already have several investors showing interest. “We sold about 1,200 units in our first run and we’re looking at selling 30,000 to 35,000 units this year,” he says. There are also plans for women’s shoes in the coming months, and perhaps a brick-and-mortar store.
