Brooks Running
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
Seattle maker of running shoes, apparel and sports bras.
Brooks Running can't show that the workers who make its products in Vietnam and Indonesia earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 3 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- 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.
Good requirements 3 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsJudged on where its products are made: worker rights are poorly protected in Vietnam, Indonesia and China.
- 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 or links
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listPublishes its supplier list
- Not met: High-risk raw materials (leather and natural rubber) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: natural rubber
Red flags 1
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Brooks Running's own disclosure: it publishes its supplier list. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnam | 48% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | 10% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Taiwan | 10% | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| China | 6% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Peru | 5% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Philippines | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| El Salvador | 5% | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | High |
| United States | 5% | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| BangladeshUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| CambodiaUsual for the industry | under 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| TürkiyeUsual for the industry | under 1% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| PakistanUsual for the industry | under 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Publishes supplier list
- Modern slavery statement
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- Uses little or no cotton (e.g. wool, linen or leather products)
- Doesn't show where its natural rubber comes from. Natural rubber is linked to forced and child labour on some rubber plantations, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
- Uses leather 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.
Research notes Brooks does not own its factories. Its February 2026 factory list covers all 20 final-assembly sites and suppliers making up 80% of material spend; its map places 19 of them: nine in Vietnam, two each in Indonesia and Taiwan and one each in China, El Salvador, India, Peru, the Philippines and the US. Shares count those factories, not volume. All final-assembly factories get yearly verified social assessments (SLCP, Better Work). It joined the Fair Labor Association as a participating company in 2024 but is not yet accredited, and it only requires legal minimum wages, with no living wage commitment.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Listed | Scored 90.3 out of 250 (about 36%) in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, up from 63.5 in 2020. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Publishes an annual supply chain transparency statement under the UK Modern Slavery Act, Canada's S-211 and California law; the 2026 statement reports no forced or child labour findings. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Company profile lists no response requests; it records no public evidence that suppliers pay a living wage. 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.
- Public Eye reported in 2026 that Yihong, an Indonesian subcontractor said by workers to do printing and dyeing via the Long Rich factory group for brands including Brooks, dismissed union members in 2025; workers were reinstated by April 2026 with partial back pay, and Brooks said it would investigate (Public Eye, 2026). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Brooks Running - Fair Labor Association · search the archive · Brooks became a participating company member of the FLA in July 2024; not listed as accredited
- Inside On's supply chain (Public Eye, June 2026) · search the archive · Yihong subcontractor linked to Brooks via larger suppliers; union dismissals; Brooks said it would investigate
- Brooks Ghost 16 (Run and Become) · search the archive · RoadTack outsole made of rubber and recycled silica; engineered mesh (synthetic) upper
Published by Brooks Running or its owner
- Brooks Running - Supply chain transparency (factory list) · search the archive · Feb 2026 list: 20 tier 1 factories; map shows Vietnam 9, Indonesia 2, Taiwan 2, one each in US, El Salvador, Peru, China, Philippines, India
- Brooks Supply Chain Transparency Statement 2026 · search the archive · 100% tier 1 verified social assessments; legal wage compliance only; no forced labour found in 2025; Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary
- Brooks Running - Responsible sourcing · search the archive · SLCP/Better Work assessments, LRQA worker sentiment survey, responsible recruitment commitment; no living wage commitment
- Brooks Addiction Walker 2 (Brooks store) · search the archive · Walking shoe with leather upper, one of few leather lines
Company details
- Owned by
- Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Brooks Running ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/brooks-running, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency 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 Brooks Running.