We love when brands put sustainability as a top priority, so we’re extra obsessed with this one. Allbirds is a footwear and lifestyle brand that you need to have on your radar.
Allbirds just opened its second Canadian location right in Yorkdale Shopping Centre (which follows the store in Vancouver) making this its first-ever Toronto location.
Co-founded in 2016 by Tim Brown, the brand is dedicated to making sustainable products using supernatural materials, designed for everyday life. Its mission is to prove that comfort, design, and sustainability aren’t mutually exclusive.
Tim speaks about the expansion saying, “We are excited to offer a new way for our Toronto customers to experience Allbirds —a city that melds so well with the Allbirds lifestyle – casual, comfortable, and an epicenter for health and wellness.”
Allbirds offers quite a range of sneakers, so you can find exactly what you’re looking for, whether you’re a runner or just searching for a go-to shoe, the brand has you covered.
It uses materials like sugarcane, wool, and eucalyptus to keep production emissions low, without sacrificing quality and style.
Plus, it recently launched an activewear line that’s made out of sustainably sourced materials as well. And let us tell you, the apparel is so sleek and comfortable!
Aside from the footwear and clothing, the store design is eco-conscious too. The service desk is constructed using locally sourced renewable maple plywood as well as featuring a table surface made using recycled paper!
A very interesting concept you’ll find when browsing around the store is that the carbon footprint of each product is clearly displayed right on it. Tim explained it as a nutrition label but for the shoe—you can see the exact carbon impact that the product has. How cool is that?
If you’re interested in learning more about the sustainability efforts that the brand has taken, check out their site. It’s definitely worth the browse.
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Toronto is blessed with an abundance of sneaker stores, and over the years, the city has seen its share of stores come and go. Foot Locker and Champs have been the mainstays in malls for sneakers throughout the country but we have seen the likes of Athletes World phase out. We have seen boutiques such as HAVEN and Capsule greatly contribute to the community over the years but we have also seen amazing stores such as Goodfoot and Stolen Riches close up shop.
One of the highlights of shopping for sneakers in Toronto over the years has been visiting a shop that I have been fortunate enough to have amazing experiences with, both in person and online. In my humble opinion after visiting most of the stores in the city, the best store for sneakers in Toronto has to be Livestock. The Vancouver-based retailer opened its first Toronto location on Spadina Avenue in 2007 and its second Toronto location on Roncesvalles Avenue in 2016.
Image: hustleGRL
I was in high school when Livestock Toronto first opened in Toronto and I remember going there on opening day. I was lucky to know one of the original staff members back then and the energy that the original staff brought to the city was electric. The level of hospitality that they brought to the community remains unmatched. How many other stores would open up their store after hours because it started raining while people were camping outside of their store for sneakers?
Livestock Spadina
Livestock brings back many memories but they have been doing more amazing things since they opened. One of the best things that they currently do is their online raffles for limited releases where you have to physically go to one of their stores to receive a specific code to enter the raffle. It’s an attempt to bring back the feeling of hunting for the shoes, actually having to travel for a chance to possibly get the shoes. Before the social media craze, there were times where people had to travel to the store just to see if they got the sneakers, let alone buy them.
In addition to the online raffles where a code has to be picked up from one of their stores, they also hold additional raffles through their social media accounts where people who don’t live in the city can enter as well.
The good folks over at Livestock have been vital for the development of the Canadian sneaker community and I can’t praise them enough. Not only are their selection of sneakers top notch, they carry some amazing apparel and accessories including their in-house namesake collection of apparel.
Be sure to visit Livestock in Toronto at any of their two locations:
116 Spadina Avenue G1
Livestock Roncesvalles
406 Roncesvalles Avenue
Image: Livestock
Image: Livestock
What is your favourite sneaker store in Toronto? Share with us in the comments.
Featured image: Instagram/@livestockcanada
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One of the beautiful features of Toronto is the number of small neighbourhoods that create the city of Toronto as we know it to be.
When shopping for sneakers, many of you might go to the well-known malls such as Yorkdale and the Eaton Centre but you should know that there are so many shops spread throughout the city that carry different brands and products in case you’re on the hunt for something specific.
Here is a breakdown of some of the best sneaker stores in different Toronto neighbourhoods:
Downtown Yonge
Footaction
Image: Footaction
If you’re shopping for sneakers in the heart of downtown, you are probably going to stop by the Eaton Centre to see what is available. Instead of going to the Foot Locker or Champs Sports, stop by the Footaction on the first floor and see the variety of products inside the Nike Kicks Lounge, the adidas Originals Collective, the PUMA Lab and more.
Queen Street West
Exclucity
Image: Hector Vasquez
Another one of Toronto’s most popular shopping areas, Queen Street West has countless options where you can find sneakers. One of the best shops on Queen Street West is Exclucity, the retailer from Montreal who has become increasingly popular and seen numerous expansions to different parts of the GTA. You can also find their boutique shop, Status, located on the second floor of Exclucity on Queen Street West.
Yorkville
Capsule
Image: Capsule Toronto
Yorkville is known for its selection of higher-end retailers and Capsule fits right in with the selection of footwear, apparel and accessories available at the shop. It is one of Toronto’s oldest sneaker shops and they are hands down one of the best in the entire country, let alone the city. Capsule also has a second location in downtown Markham.
Roncesvalles
Livestock
Image: Livestock
As one of Canada’s top sneaker shops, Livestock is one of the best destinations for all of your sneaker needs. The location in Roncesvalles is its second location in the city with the original location being one block south of the Richmond Street and Spadina Avenue intersection.
Fashion District
Adrift
Image: Adrift
Sneakerheads are often associated with individuals who play basketball or are into fashion, but there are countless individuals who developed their love for sneakers through skateboarding. If you fall into the latter, Adrift is the shop for you with its variety of skateboarding-centric sneakers, apparel and accessories.
Moss Park
HAVEN
Image: HAVEN
This shop’s name speaks for itself as it is a true haven for those who love footwear, as well as Japanese and other globally recognized fashion labels. It is recognized as one of Canada’s top sneaker shops, as it has a location in Vancouver as well.
Chinatown
Bond Running
Image: Canadian Running Magazine
If you love to go for runs and are in the need for new running shoes and attire, Bond Running in Chinatown is the spot for you. In addition to carrying the latest in running from the likes of Nike and adidas, you can also grab a coffee at the bar in the front of the store.
Parkdale
Community 54
Image: Alex Rao
Located in one of Toronto’s most beloved neighbourhoods, Parkdale, Community 54 is a boutique that draws many of its inspiration from vintage streetwear and classic arcade games. It began as a boutique in the Lower East Side of New York City and expanded to Toronto helping bring new life to Parkdale.
The Junction
MILK Toronto
Image: MILK Toronto
The founder of SneakerTub, a monthly subscription service, recently opened a shop in the Junction to provide the neighbourhood of a new shopping destination. The interior of MILK Toronto is heavily influenced by milk, featuring milk cartons, milk crates and cereal boxes throughout the store.
North York
Essential Toronto
Image: Essential Toronto
Following the success of its first location in downtown Toronto, Essential Toronto opened its second location in North York. The consignment store stocks some of the rarest sneakers and streetwear items.
Downtown Markham
Solestop
Image: Solestop
Having started as a small shop inside Markham’s Pacific Mall, Solestop grew tremendously since it first opened and moved to a larger storefront in downtown Markham. It is a tremendous shop stocking products from the likes of adidas, New Balance, PUMA and Vans.
Do you know any other sneaker stores in Toronto neighbourhoods? Share with us in the comment section.
Featured image: Capsule Toronto
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