Transparent, sustainable, organic, minimalist; say hello to Veja, the French sneaker brand taking on Nike, Adidas and Gucci and making fashion’s favourite footwear both ethical and cool.

So what makes these guys different, and how do we know it’s not just marketing hype? Made in Brazil from sustainably-sourced rubber, vegetable-tanned leather, organic cotton and uppers made from recycled bottles. Workers and suppliers are paid above minimum wage and under ethical conditions, principles that co-founders Sébastien Kopp and François-Ghislain Morillion hope others in the fashion industry will follow.

“We want Veja to be an example and we want to say to the other brands, with all the money you have, with all the knowledge you have, with all the power you have, you can do much more,” Kopp recently told The Guardian.

“It’s possible to make a company with equilibrium where the boss or owners of the company are not paying themselves like crazy and everybody is well-paid, and the minimum salary is high and the maximum salary is low – and it’s cool; everybody can live a very happy life with that.”

Emma Watson, Marion Cottilard and David Beckham have all been spied in their signature kicks that you can buy now on, Net-a-Porter, Well Made Clothes and now Hype DC.