The Swedish multinational clothing-retail company, H&M has collaborated with London-based sneaker brand Good News to launch a unisex collection of footwear made with plant-based fabric Bananatex.

This footwear collection is H&M’s first shoe collaboration which features innovative materials. The collection will be available on the Swedish fashion giant’s website and in selected stores from April 1.

Good News co-founder, Nia Jones said that they felt proud of the collaboration with H&M as it has pushed one of the giants to look at every component of a shoe. It was important for them to create the collection as sustainable as possible along with looking fun and cool.

The footwear company Good News was founded in 2016 by Jones and Ben Tattersall and is known for their playful and retro-inspired sneakers which are created using sustainable materials like hemp, Tencel, organic wool, and recycled rubber.

Similarly, the new collection is also made using sustainable material like Bananatex. The upper of the black low-top sneaker is made using Bananatex which is a plant-based fabric developed by Swiss bag brand Qwstion in partnership with a Taiwanese yarn specialist and a weaving partner based in Taipei, Taiwan. Bananatex is a durable and waterproof fabric made from banana plants cultivated in the Philippine highlands in a natural ecosystem without the use of fertilizer, pesticides, or extra water. The other elements of the shoes like soles are made using recycled rubber and recycled cotton.

The co-founder of Zurich-based Qwstion, Hannes Schönegger, said that their goal is to drive positive change with everything they do. Bananatex will be able to increase their reach and along with the ecological and social impact, through this cooperation. This is a rewarding milestone for the great teams at Qwstion, after so many years of research and development.