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Nike is launching a new sneaker range made from vegan pineapple leather.
The sportswear giant has partnered with acclaimed brand Piñatex – which creates cruelty-free leather from pineapple leaf fibers.
Nike’s vegan pineapple leather sneakers
The new collection, dubbed Happy Pineapple, features five models that are available in several colorways.
This includes Nike’s iconic Air Force 1 and Air Max 90 sneakers – as well as the Aur Max 95 and Air Zoom Type model.
“This summer has just gotten sweeter,” Piñatex wrote on Instagram.
“Nike merges their innovative silhouettes with juicy hues and clever details paying homage to a summertime staple.
“The pineapple Piñatex has been used on the brand’s iconic models in key parts of the shoe together with other sustainable materials such as cork.”
Kangaroo leather
Despite Nike’s increasing commitment to vegan sneakers – the brand has come under fire for using kangaroo leather.
Earlier this year, Hollywood stars released a short film urging the brand to ditch the exotic skin.
Using reverse sequencing, the film begins with a football player’s boot kicking a ball into a goal.
Then, it chronologically looks back through the retail supply chain and manufacturing process. This shows kangaroos being shot and stripped of their skin in Australian wildlands.
Mark Pearson is an Australian politician. He said: “It’s fantastic to see Hollywood heavyweights getting behind the plight of the kangaroo because they urgently need help.
“A lot of people don’t even know that kangaroo populations are declining; let alone that Australia kills its own national emblem for profit.
He also described the short film as an ‘eye-opener for people all across the world’.
You can purchase the shoes via Nike’s SNKRS app here
