The world's most comfortable shoes are made of wool

The search for sustainable and biodegradable shoes has led a former football player to invent a pair of kicks that is not only comfortable to wear but odor-resistant as well.

Tim Brown, ex-midfielder for the New Zealand national team, who had tons of experience with footwear being a professional athlete always wanted to create shoes made of natural materials that are gentle to the feet. Working on a scholarship grant from the country's wool industry, he developed a high-performing wool fabric that became the main material for his line of footwear. It helped that he lives in a nation where sheep outnumber people six to one, making wool an abundant and renewable resource.

Enter Wool Runner. The footwear adopts New Zealand merino wool developed by Brown and turned into fabric in a mill in Italy. The sneakers use vegetable oil-based PU for the insoles and are assembled in a factory in South Korea.

The shoes have all the benefits of wool such as being naturally temperature-regulating and moisture-wicking, and preventing odor buildup.

The sneakers' design also fit nicely into the athleisure trend of products, allowing people to shift from an athletic activity into their daily lives.

Wool Runner's Kickstarter campaign earned more than $100,000 in just the first five days that Brown decided to turn the project into a career. He teamed up with biotech engineer Joey Zwillinger and started Allbirds, the company behind the sneakers. To date, the firm has landed $2.7 million in financial backing from various sponsors. It is currently working on new textiles and shoe designs that the company hopes to launch by the end of the year.

A pair of Wool Runners retail at $95, and is available in the US and New Zealand. Check out Allbirds' website for more information on the Wool Runner.