Blundstone
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 6 sources
Family-owned Tasmanian company known for its elastic-sided leather boots.
Blundstone scored 20/100 in the 2024 Ethical Fashion Report, and there's no proof it pays more than the legal minimum, which in Vietnam is well below a living wage.
Better-graded footwear
Graded higher than Blundstone, selling the same kinds of things. Second-hand first.
Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Blundstone? Send a right of reply.
Compare Blundstone with another brand
Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 3 red flags: no evidence of a living wage, unaudited production in high-risk countries and a failing or very low rating (Ethical Fashion Report 20/100 in 2024). Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record: the most serious problem on its record (forced labour, last recorded in 2025) was found by its own checks and is being fixed.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
- Checks its own supply chain. Blundstone looks for problems in its own supply chain and publishes what it finds. It found forced labour in 2025 and is fixing it, so it doesn't count against the grade. It's listed below under Confirmed issues.
Good requirements 1 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsMost of its products are made in Thailand, China and India, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings it isn't fixingIts own checks found forced labour, which it is fixing. That's listed below and doesn't count against the grade.
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Not met: High-risk raw materials (cotton and leather) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton and leather
Red flags 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
- Red flag: Failing or very low score on an independent rating: Ethical Fashion Report 20/100 (2024)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Blundstone says which countries it makes its products in, but doesn't name the factories.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Mexico | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Thailand | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Australia | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- Modern slavery statement
- Makes part of its range in its own factories
- Doesn't show where its cotton comes from. Cotton is linked to forced labour in Xinjiang and Turkmenistan, and child labour in several growing regions, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
- 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.
Research notes Blundstone is a family-owned Tasmanian company that still makes gumboots at its Hobart factory, but its leather and safety boots have been made overseas since 2007 by long-term partners in Vietnam, Mexico, Thailand, China and, to a lesser extent, India. It does not publish a supplier list or production shares, and does not commit to a living wage. Its FY2025 checks found record-keeping and allowance problems at some Tier 2 suppliers in China and an underage worker at one, which it dropped. It was not in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report after scoring well below average in 2024.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Problem found | Not in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report; scored 20 out of 100 in the 2024 edition (average 31.3). View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | FY2025 statement: footwear made by partners in Vietnam, Mexico, Thailand, China and, to a lesser extent, India; an underage worker found at a Tier 2 supplier in China; no living wage commitment. View |
Confirmed issues 1
Only confirmed problems are listed, and old ones drop off after 10 to 15 years. A problem the company has fully put right no longer counts against it, and nor does one it finds and is fixing itself. How problems are counted
| Last recorded | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Blundstone's FY2025 modern slavery statement reports that an on-site visit found a young person under the legal working age working at one of its Tier 2 supplier sites in China (Blundstone Modern Slavery Statement FY2025). Source · search the archiveFound and being fixed by the company Not counted against the grade while the company is actively fixing it, because it found and published it itself. | PartlyBlundstone removed the supplier from its supply chain; its statement describes no support for the young worker. |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Blundstone - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Ethical Fashion Report 2024 score 20/100; most production moved to Asia in 2007; Leather Working Group member
Published by Blundstone or its owner
- Blundstone Modern Slavery Statement FY2025 · search the archive · Partners in Vietnam, Mexico, Thailand, China, India; 33 site audits; Tier 2 record-keeping issues; underage worker at China Tier 2 site
- Blundstone Modern Slavery Statement FY2024 · search the archive · Partners in Vietnam, India, Mexico, Thailand, China, Indonesia; 60 verification audits; Tier 2 record-keeping and allowance issues
- Our People (Blundstone) · search the archive · BSI third-party audits; workers paid at or above minimum wage; no supplier list
- Where are your boots made? (Blundstone) · search the archive · Gumboots made in Tasmania; leather products made in Vietnam, India, China, Mexico and Thailand
- Blundstone UK FAQ · search the archive · Leather products made by partners in Vietnam, India, China, Mexico and Thailand; gumboots made in Tasmania
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Blundstone ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/blundstone, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Blundstone.