H&M recently announced their latest collaboration. This time around, they have teamed up with London-based footwear brand Good News. Together, they have created an unisex sneaker collection.
Good News had made a name for itself in the fashion industry owing to the playful, retro-inspired styles of their shoes, as well as the sustainable materials they use to bring them to life (Good News frequently works with Tencel, organic wool, hemp, and recycled rubber).
“We wanted to team up with Good News because of their bold, positive expression and constant quest for circularity. Our common goal of change fueled us throughout the design process,” says David Söderlund, footwear designer at H&M.
Bringing Good News’ background in sustainability with them, the new collection features everyday sneakers made from plant-based materials. In fact, the primary goal of the collection was to craft sneakers that produced less waste and had a minimal impact on the environment.
One of the standout materials from the line is Bananatex, a fabric made out of banana plants that was created by Swiss brand Qwstion in collaboration with a Taiwanese yarn specialist in Taipei. The fabric created is not only durable and waterproof but was sourced from banana plants in the Philippine highlands that are cultivated without pesticides, fertilizer, or excess water.
Other sustainable, plant-based materials used in the collection include organic and recycled cotton, recycled rubber soles, renewable Tencel Lyocell cellulose fibres, and a vegan leather made out of grapes called Vegea (the latter, along with the Bananatex fabric, were specifically used for the shoe uppers).
The collab is set to feature seven unisex sneaker styles and one slide-on style, as well as a kid’s line of three sneaker styles. Each pair of sneakers features Good News’ signature ‘70s-inspired retro colour palette.
“This collection is vibrant and so much fun. Sustainable materials have historically been seen as too hempy, too hippie. There’s a stigma attached to them. We wanted to create style and substance, pushing the boundaries to see what sneakers we can create through innovative materials,” says Ben Tattersall, co-founder of Good News.
“Making this collection as sustainable as possible was important to us. We always tear up the rule book and do things a bit backwards. Rather than start with a trendy mood board or concept, we put the sustainable and innovative materials first. The available materials decide what we will create,” adds Nia Jones, co-founder of Good News.
The H&M x Good News unisex sneaker collection will be available on H&M’s website starting April 1, with the collab landing in US and Canadian stores April 15.
All images in this article are courtesy of H&M and Good News.
