Birkenstock
On Track. Pays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
German footwear maker best known for cork-footbed sandals.
Birkenstock makes most of its sandals, clogs and footbed shoes in its own factories in Germany, where legal wages are about a living wage.
Also worth knowing
It publishes a modern slavery statement.
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Why it's graded On Track
- Not met: Meets 4 of 7 Good requirements.
- Met: No red flags.
Good requirements 4 of 7
- Met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: presumed because legal wages in Germany are about a living wage, not checked at the company
- Met: Respects worker rights
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Not met: Shows where its earlier production stages happen, not just the final oneA "Made in" claim can cover only the final stage. Earlier stages to show: yarn, fabric, dyeing and, for shoes, uppers
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listMakes its products in its own factories
- Not met: High-risk raw materials (cotton, leather and natural rubber) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: leather
Red flags 0
None found.
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Birkenstock's evidence and, where it has product lines, that line's countries. They're estimates: we don't know which factory made any single item.
Sandals & thongs, Shoes, Boots: On Track, the same as Birkenstock overall, because nothing we know differs between them.
Holding one? Scan its barcode for an estimate that uses its care label or ingredients.
Where it's made
From Birkenstock's own disclosure: it makes its products in its own factories. Its list covers only part of its range. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | 90% | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | 3% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| BangladeshUsual for the industry | 2% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | 2% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| CambodiaUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| TürkiyeUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | under 1% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| PakistanUsual for the industry | under 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Owns or runs its own production
- Modern slavery statement
- "Made in Germany" only means the last major stage happened there: under customs and consumer law, yarn, fabric, dyeing and, for shoes, uppers can be made elsewhere. It hasn't shown where those earlier stages happen, so where it's made counts towards On Track but not Good. Source
- Doesn't show where its leather comes from. Leather is linked to hazardous tannery work and forced labour on some cattle ranches, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
- Uses cotton in only a few products and doesn't show where it comes from. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
- Traces or certifies most but not all of its natural rubber. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
Research notes Birkenstock makes its footwear mainly in its own factories: over 90% is assembled in Germany, where it ran seven factories in 2026, and its own plant in Arouca, Portugal makes components such as uppers; all footbeds are made in Germany. Over 90% of materials come from about 200 European suppliers, but leather, latex and jute are higher-risk inputs and it does not name its material suppliers or their countries. Its supply chain reports (German, UK and Canadian law) state no child or forced labour was found, but it discloses no audit numbers, supplier list or living wage data.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Responded in 2016 to the 'Labour on a shoestring' footwear study, saying it makes most products in its own German factories and pays above the legal minimum. View |
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.
- A 2024 der Freitag report, citing union IG Metall and employees speaking to broadcaster SWR, said Birkenstock pays its German production workers just above the minimum wage and sets output targets that are hard to exceed (der Freitag, 2024). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Response by Birkenstock (BHRRC) · search the archive · 2016 response to 'Labour on a shoestring' study: most production in own German factories, pay above statutory minimum
- Birkenstock production network expansion on track (Supply Chain Dive, 2026) · search the archive · Aug 2026: nearly all production in-house across seven German factories and a component plant in Arouca, Portugal
- Birkenstock doesn't stop: 15 million uppers factory in Portugal (La Conceria) · search the archive · 2024: Arouca, Portugal factory (600 jobs) makes uppers sent to Germany for assembly
Published by Birkenstock or its owner
- Birkenstock Canada Supply Chain Report FY2025 · search the archive · 6 production units in Germany, 1 in Portugal; over 90% assembled in Germany; 90%+ materials from ~200 European suppliers; 7,000+ staff
- Production and manufacturing (Birkenstock Group) · search the archive · All footbeds made in Germany; products primarily assembled in own factories; all footwear made in the EU
- Sustainability (Birkenstock Group) · search the archive · LkSG report, human rights policy and modern slavery statements; leather, cork, latex, jute key materials; SpeakUP complaints line
- Further strengthening of labor rights at Birkenstock · search the archive · 2018: employee representatives on production subsidiary board; works councils at several German plants
Company details
- Owned by
- Birkenstock Holding plc (NYSE-listed; private equity firm L Catterton is the largest shareholder)
- Headquarters
- Germany
- Employees
- About 7,000
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Birkenstock ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/birkenstock, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What On Track means
Better-graded footwear
Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Birkenstock.