Castañer
On Track. Pays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
Spanish footwear brand making jute-soled espadrilles and wedges.
Castañer makes its handmade Spanish espadrilles in Spain, where labour laws are strong and legal wages are close to a living wage.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Castañer? Send a right of reply.
Compare Castañer with another brand
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 Spain are close to a living wage, not checked at the company
- Met: Respects worker rights
- Met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standardsPresumed from where it's made, not audited
- 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
- 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
Red flags 0
None found.
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Castañer says which countries it makes its products in, but doesn't name the factories.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- "Made in Spain" 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 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.
- 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 Castañer sells its espadrilles as handmade in Spain, and retailers list them as made in Banyoles, where its first factory opened in 1927 and still operates; it does not say what share is made in its own atelier rather than by other workshops. It sources jute from India and Bangladesh but names no farms, mills or suppliers. It publishes no supplier list, social audit results or wage commitments, and has no public labour rights cases on record.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Not rated in Baptist World Aid's 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, which covers brands with a large Australian presence. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Castañer, un siglo calzando el verano (Modaes, 2022) · search the archive · First espadrille factory opened in Banyoles in 1927 and still operating; family business run by professional managers since 2014
- Castañer sales and store news (Modaes) · search the archive · 2024 sales €30.8m; 24 points of sale in Spain; stores in Rome, Miami, Chile, Colombia and Dominican Republic
- Castañer Pablo espadrilles in navy cotton canvas (No Man Walks Alone) · search the archive · Handmade in Banyoles, Catalonia, Spain; cotton canvas upper, jute and rubber sole, partial leather lining
- Castañer Nacho suede espadrilles (Mr Porter) · search the archive · Crafted in Spain from cow suede with braided jute trim
- Castañer Chiarita espadrilles (italist Australia) · search the archive · Castañer canvas wedges listed on italist's Australian online store; made in Spain
Published by Castañer or its owner
- Castañer official site · search the archive · Describes its products as Spanish handmade espadrilles since 1927; company is Espadrilles Banyoles, S.L.
- Atelier Castañer · search the archive · Jute sourced from India and Bangladesh; braiding and sewing machines in its own atelier; many models still sewn by hand; cotton and linen threads
Company details
- Headquarters
- Spain
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Castañer ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/castaner, 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
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Castañer.