Converse
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 6 sources
Boston sneaker brand best known for Chuck Taylor All Stars.
Workers were seriously abused in Converse's supply chain in 2011, which it has only partly put right.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 3 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no proof yet of a living wage and clear breaches of labour conditions. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record: the most serious problem on its record (abuse of workers, last recorded in 2011) is more than 5 years old.
- 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: working towards one
- Not met: Respects worker rightsA confirmed problem counts against it: abuse of workers, last recorded in 2011
- 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 (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No proof yet that it pays a living wage (it's working towards one)
- Red flag: Clear breaches of labour conditions
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Nike's supplier list, which covers Converse and its sister brands. Converse publishes no breakdown of its own, so the countries shown are the group's. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| BangladeshUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| CambodiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| TürkiyeUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| PakistanUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Publishes supplier list
- Modern slavery statement
- 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.
Research notes Converse shoes are made by independent contract factories that appear on Nike's public manufacturing map and fall under Nike's Fair Labor Association-accredited monitoring, but neither Nike nor Converse publishes a country breakdown for Converse; Nike's own footwear is made mainly in Vietnam, Indonesia and China, and 2011 reporting placed four Converse factories in Indonesia. Nike's group policies apply: no time-bound living wage plan for all workers and no signature on the International Accord. Nike scored 53/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, above the 31.5 average, and 46.6/100 in the 2026 Corporate Human Rights Benchmark.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Listed | Rated as part of Nike Inc, which scored 53 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (average 31.5), up from 51 in 2024; Converse is listed among Nike's brands. View |
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Listed | Nike Inc scored 50% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index. View |
| Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (World Benchmarking Alliance) | Listed | Nike Inc scored 46.6 out of 100 in the 2026 Corporate Human Rights Benchmark, up from 14.5 in 2023. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Covered by Nike Inc's modern slavery statement lodged on the Australian register for the year to May 2024. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Covered by Nike's FY25 group statement made under the UK Modern Slavery Act. View |
| News reporting and NGO investigations | Problem found | Associated Press reported in 2011 that workers at Converse supplier factories in Indonesia were physically and verbally abused; Nike acknowledged the abuse. 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? |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Nike admitted in 2011 that supervisors at two Indonesian factories making Converse shoes slapped, kicked and insulted workers, after an Associated Press investigation; its own checks found about two-thirds of 168 Converse factories failed its code (AP, 2011). | PartlyNike set up a confidential grievance process, extra supervisor training and promised to publish Converse factory locations; no remedy for the workers was reported. |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Abuse part of daily bread for Converse workers (Oxfam Australia) · search the archive · 2011: Nike admitted serious abuse at Pou Chen Sukabumi and PT Amara; two-thirds of 168 Converse factories failed its code; grievance process promised
- Nike Inc - Shop Ethical! (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Converse listed among Nike brands; Ethical Fashion Report 2026 53/100 (avg 31.5); CHRB 2026 46.6/100; FTI 2023 50%
- NIKE, Inc. Form 10-K FY2026, Manufacturing · search the archive · FY26 Nike Brand footwear made in Vietnam 52%, Indonesia 27%, China 16%; Converse not broken out
- AP report on Converse factories in Indonesia (Arizona Daily Star) · search the archive · 17,000 workers made Converse at four Indonesian factories; slapping, kicking, insults and firings for complaints; Nike acknowledged abuse
Published by Converse or its owner
- Nike FY25 Statement on Forced Labor and Modern Slavery · search the archive · Group statement covering Nike Australia and UK entities; Manufacturing Map discloses suppliers
- Strategic compensation in the supply chain (Nike) · search the archive · 71% of strategic suppliers pay at or above living wage benchmarks on average; no time-bound living wage target
Company details
- Owned by
- Nike Inc
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Converse ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/converse, 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 Converse.