Allbirds is out to prove it's more than those fuzzy wool sneakers

• Allbirds reported disastrous sales and earnings last month. 
• The company recently opened a Portland, Oregon, office staffed with Nike and Adidas veterans.
• On Tuesday, the company unveiled its latest shoe that showcases the work of its new hires. 

Allbirds made its name by removing the middleman and boosting the DTC movement by pushing shoe stores toward online and direct-to-consumer sales. 

Now the company's removed a seemingly vital part of a sneaker — the Strobel board, a flexible fabric that holds the shoe together that's used in most sneaker construction.