Golden Goose
On Track. Pays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 3 sources
Venice luxury brand best known for distressed leather sneakers.
Golden Goose makes its luxury sneakers and ready-to-wear in Italy, partly in its own factories, and has its suppliers independently audited, which Italian fashion needs before we presume 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 Italy 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 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
- 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: 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 Golden Goose'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.
Sneakers, Boots, Jackets & coats, T-shirts, Hoodies & sweatshirts, Jeans, Knitwear, Bags & backpacks: On Track, the same as Golden Goose 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
Golden Goose says which countries it makes its products in, but doesn't name the factories.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- Modern slavery statement
- Makes part of its range in its own factories
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- "Made in Italy" 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.
- 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.
Research notes About 95% of Golden Goose's 19 shoe factories, 93% of its 15 garment makers and all 7 accessory makers are in Italy, so production is shown as Italy; the rest are elsewhere in Europe and are not named. It owns two of its shoe factories, in Casarano and Gricignano di Aversa. External auditors visited suppliers covering about 100% of 2025 Tier 1 volumes, but audits check legal minimum wages and there is no living wage commitment or public factory list. About 90% of leather comes from LWG-certified tanneries; hide origin is given only by continent.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Golden Goose Group publishes an annual modern slavery statement; the 2025 statement reports around 190 direct suppliers, mostly in Italy, and no modern slavery reports. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not listed | Not among the 138 companies in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (11th edition). View |
Sources and actions
Sources 3
Show all 3 sources
- HSG completes majority investment in Golden Goose (Permira) · search the archive · HSG became majority owner in June 2026; Temasek minority shareholder
Published by Golden Goose or its owner
- Golden Goose Group Modern Slavery Statement 2025 · search the archive · About 190 suppliers; 95% of shoe and 93% of garment makers in Italy; 2,528 staff; audits on ~100% of Tier 1 volumes
- We Craft - Golden Goose sustainability · search the archive · Two owned shoe factories; ~90% of leather from LWG suppliers; leather and cotton origin by region; audits check minimum wages
Company details
- Headquarters
- Italy
- Employees
- About 2,528
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Golden Goose ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/golden-goose, 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 Golden Goose.