An Indiegogo Startup Copied Allbirds Shoes and Raised $3.8M

Despite the boundless number of shoes and brands that we have out there, even more startups are creating shoes. Now, there is an Indiegogo startup that came out with a travel shoe that looks similar to Allbirds shoes. And, it raised $3.8M. The Tropicfeel team came out with Tropic, the ultimate travel shoe.

Tropic Shoe: What Is New About It?

We cannot help but wonder what is new about this Tropic shoe. What is so great about it that the Indiegogo campaign raised $3.8M, causing it to reach over 170 times its initial funding goal? Well, first of all, they have a great video demonstrating how you can wear the shoe in all types of terrains. You can wear them with or without socks, in water, on rocky ground, and in cities. Thus, whether you are exploring a city, the wilderness, or the pond, you can wear these shoes. According to the creators, this shoe can dry in minutes. It has an elastic back to hold your foot, a slip-resistant sole with a strong grip, and 3D mesh for super breathability. You can even choose to wear elastic or regular shoelaces with the shoe. Even more, the slip-on shoe is odorless.

Allbirds Shoes Versus Tropic Shoe

Although the Tropic shoe looks similar to Allbirds, the Allbirds shoe has natural materials like merino wool. Just like Tropic, it can be worn without socks. According to users who wore the Allbirds shoes, your feet do not sweat as much, as the shoes absorb the moisture from your feet. The users also consider the Allbirds shoes to be among the most comfortable shoes they ever wore. They are very comfortable, like slippers. You can even choose to wear inserts in the shoes, which can wear down over time and are $25 each. Even more, the shoes are machine-washable.

Price Differences between Tropic and Allbirds

Just like the looks, there is not much difference in pricing between Tropic and Allbirds. Both shoes are between $90 to $120 USD at retail price, before taxes and shipping.

The Tropic shoe, according to the Indiegogo campaign, will be around $119 USD at retail price. On the actual Indiegogo campaign, users were able to claim it for $69 USD + Shipping.

On the other hand, the Allbirds shoes can be $95 USD. According to one user review, he was not able to find promo codes for these shoes anywhere. And, the shoe inserts are $25.

The largest difference between these two shoes is that Tropic has the quick-dry feature. Because the Tropic shoe is very versatile and can dry in minutes after being in water, we believe that this tech is a main reason why the project raised $3M. That, and many millennials these days are quitting their jobs to travel, and they tend to look for more simplistic lifestyles. Thus, a versatile travel shoe appeals to them.