Adidas
Partly verifiedAdidas raises serious concerns: there are reports of forced or child labour in its supply chain, and there are documented abuses of workers. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute's 2020 'Uyghurs for Sale' report found that Huafu Top Dyed Melange Yarn in Anhui, a long-term Adidas yarn supplier, used Uyghur workers transferred from Xinjiang under a government labour programme in 2017-2018 (ASPI via Glossy and BHRRC, 2020).
Last researched 9 October 2026
Not doing enough. Workers in the supply chain are likely underpaid, unprotected or in danger, and in the worst cases face forced or child labour. Look for a better-graded alternative. What this grade means
Good: 2 of 5
- Pays a living wage
- Respects worker rights
- Full supply chain audit, or made only in countries with rigorous labour standards
- No child or forced labour findings
- Publishes where its products are made (supplier list, named farms or its own factories)
Great: 0 of 3
- Pays beyond a living wage
- Finds and fixes problems, or invests directly in workers' communities
- Actively empowers workers
Needs all Good requirements plus two of these.
Red flags: 3
- Does not pay a living wage
- Clear breaches of labour conditions
- Instances of forced, slave or child labour
Where it's made
| Country | Worker rights | Legal wages | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnam 44% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia 30% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| China 26% | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Country conditions from the ITUC Global Rights Index, Global Slavery Index and living wage benchmarks. Certifications and audits can raise a company above its countries' baseline.
Why this grade
- Cotton is linked to forced labour (Xinjiang, Turkmenistan) and child labour in several growing regions.
- Fair Labor Association: Brand-level accreditation with unannounced factory assessments.
- Publishes supplier list
- Modern slavery statement
Adidas outsources almost all production to independent suppliers, 92% of them in Asia. In 2025 Vietnam made 27% of its volume, Indonesia 18% and China 16%; the remaining 39% is spread across countries it does not break down, so the shares shown cover only the named countries. It has been Fair Labor Association accredited since 2005, publishes its factory list and scored in the top 20% of the 2024 Ethical Fashion Report, but has published no evidence that the workers who make its products earn a living wage.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Found | Ethical Fashion Report 2024: top 20% of 120 companies, 63/100 for apparel and 55/100 for footwear. View ↗ |
Confirmed issues
Problems confirmed by a court, regulator, completed investigation or the company itself. Issues more than 15 years old, or 10–15 years old where the company made amends, are removed. Problems a company finds and publishes itself, and is fixing, are shown but don't count against it.
| When | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | A Worker Rights Consortium investigation found that Trax Apparel in Cambodia, which makes Adidas collegiate apparel, failed to renew the contracts of eight new union leaders in 2020 and then isolated those it reinstated (Just Style, 2023). | Yes All eight were reinstated by March 2023 with full back pay and US$47,076 in remediation. |
| 2018 | The Australian Strategic Policy Institute's 2020 'Uyghurs for Sale' report found that Huafu Top Dyed Melange Yarn in Anhui, a long-term Adidas yarn supplier, used Uyghur workers transferred from Xinjiang under a government labour programme in 2017-2018 (ASPI via Glossy and BHRRC, 2020). | Partly Adidas stopped using Huafu and told suppliers not to source Xinjiang yarn; no remedy for workers reported. |
| 2012 | The ILO Committee on Freedom of Association found in 2016 that the 2012 dismissal of about 1,300 striking workers at PT Panarub Dwikarya in Indonesia, which made Adidas shoes, was unjustified and an abuse of freedom of association (Clean Clothes Campaign, 2019). | Partly The factory paid small individual settlements; Adidas paid no remedy and still works with the parent company, Panarub Industry. |
Unconfirmed reports
Credible reports that haven't been confirmed by a regulator, completed investigation or the company. They're shown for your information and don't affect the grade.
- Unions say about 456 workers at Hulu Garment in Cambodia, an Adidas supplier until 2020, were pushed to resign during the pandemic and lost about US$1.1 million in severance; Adidas says it paid all orders in full and Cambodia's Arbitration Council found no breach (Fashion Dive, 2024). Source ↗
- The GSBI union says workers at PT Panarub Industry in Indonesia, which has made Adidas shoes since 1988, are owed about US$1.1 million from pandemic pay cuts and face punishing production targets; the claims have not been independently verified (Asia News Network, 2023). Source ↗
- In 2024 US House China Committee lawmakers wrote to Adidas and Nike asking about the risk of Uyghur forced labour in their supply chains. This was a request for information, not a finding (Business of Fashion, 2024). Source ↗
Sources (9)
- adidas Annual Report 2025: Sourcing and supply chain · archived copy · Vietnam 27%, Indonesia 18%, China 16% of sourcing volume; 92% in Asia
- Lacoste and Adidas pledge to cut forced Uighur labor from supply chain · archived copy · ASPI found Uyghur workers transferred to Huafu, an Adidas supplier, in 2017-2018; Adidas stopped using it
- China: 83 major brands implicated in report on forced labour of ethnic minorities from Xinjiang · archived copy · ASPI report and company responses
- Labour groups call for full remedy in Indonesian labour dispute involving adidas and Mizuno · archived copy · ILO found 2012 Panarub Dwikarya dismissals unjustified
- Concerns remain despite Adidas supplier remediating Cambodia workers · archived copy · WRC case at Trax Apparel; reinstatement and back pay
- Adidas labour practices in Cambodia: severance pay · archived copy · Hulu Garment severance claim and Adidas response
- Shop Ethical: adidas · archived copy · Ethical Fashion Report 2024 scores; no living wage evidence
- adidas: Fair compensation · archived copy · Adidas's fair compensation approach
- Indonesian workers at Adidas contractor complain over employment conditions · archived copy · Panarub Industry union complaints, 2023
Last researched 9 October 2026 · details still being verified. Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Represent this company and think something is wrong? A right-of-reply form is coming soon.