Hush Puppies
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
Casual footwear brand best known for suede shoes.
Hush Puppies is rated as part of a company that scored 9/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, and workers in Bangladesh and Vietnam are very unlikely to earn a living wage.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Hush Puppies? Send a right of reply.
Compare Hush Puppies 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 9/100 in 2026, for the company it's rated with). Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- 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 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 countries such as China and Bangladesh, 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 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 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 9/100 (2026, the company it's rated with)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
These are its parent group's countries across all its brands; Hush Puppies doesn't say where its own products are made. 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 |
| Bangladesh | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Indonesia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Brazil | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Spain | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Thailand | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| 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
- Modern slavery statement
- 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 Since 2023 Hush Puppies has been a fully licensed brand: Wolverine World Wide owns the name, while licensees source and sell the shoes, so Wolverine's own factory audits do not clearly cover them. In Australia the licensee is Brand Collective, whose suppliers are mainly in China, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Brazil and Spain, with no breakdown by brand or country share. Brand Collective publishes no factory list, audit results or living wage commitment, and scored 9/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, well below the 31.5 average.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Problem found | Australian licensee Brand Collective scored 9 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (average 31.5). View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Covered by Brand Collective's annual modern slavery statement (FY2024), which lists Hush Puppies as a licensed brand but gives no factory numbers, audit results or cases found. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Brand Collective - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: Brand Collective scored 9/100 (average 31.5); Hush Puppies listed via Wolverine World Wide
- Hush Puppies - Good On You · search the archive · People rating 2/5; no evidence of living wages; audits only part of supply chain
- Wolverine World Wide Form 10-K (fiscal 2025) · search the archive · Hush Puppies a fully global licensed brand since 2023; licensees buy from authorised manufacturers or make products to company standards
Published by Hush Puppies or its owner
- Brand Collective QLC Holdings Modern Slavery Statement FY2024 · search the archive · Hush Puppies a licensed brand; key supplier countries Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Spain, Thailand, Vietnam; no audit figures
- Brand Collective QLC Holdings Modern Slavery Statement FY2023 · search the archive · Holds exclusive Australian Hush Puppies licence; majority of suppliers in China, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Brazil, Spain; minimum wage only
- Wolverine Worldwide Anti-Human Trafficking and Transparency in Supply Chain Statement · search the archive · 2024: 132 internal audits covering 96% of 75 direct-sourced footwear factories; Wolverine is global licensor of Hush Puppies
- Brand Collective Holdings 2021 Modern Slavery Statement · search the archive · Hush Puppies licensee; suppliers mainly in China, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Laos, Brazil and Spain
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Hush Puppies ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/hush-puppies, 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 Hush Puppies.