K-Swiss
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
US footwear brand known for its leather Classic tennis shoes.
We couldn't confirm where K-Swiss makes most of its tennis and lifestyle sneakers.
Also worth knowing
Most clothes and shoes are made in countries such as China and Bangladesh, where pay is usually below a living wage and unions are heavily restricted.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and a hidden, unaudited supply chain, probably in high-risk countries. 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 rightsWhere clothes and shoes are usually made, such as China and Bangladesh, 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 (leather) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: leather
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain, probably mostly in countries with poor worker rights
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
We couldn't confirm where K-Swiss makes most of its products, so this shows where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 30% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | 20% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | 15% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | 10% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Cambodia | 8% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Türkiye | 7% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| Indonesia | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Pakistan | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Uses little or no cotton (e.g. wool, linen or leather products)
- 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.
Research notes K-Swiss has its shoes made by outside manufacturers and does not publish a factory list or name its production countries. Under former owner Xtep, the group reported in 2023 that all suppliers of its newer brands passed third-party footwear audits covering human rights and found no child or forced labour, but gave no brand-level detail; Xtep sold K-Swiss to its controlling Ding family in 2024. No living wage commitment or modern slavery statement for K-Swiss was found, and it did not respond to a 2024 Business & Human Rights Resource Centre request about garment worker allegations.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not listed | Neither K-Swiss nor its owner KP Global is rated in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Records that K-Swiss did not respond to allegations in the 'Who pays for the crisis' garment worker tracker in March 2024. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- K-Swiss non-response to 'Who pays for the crisis' tracker allegations (BHRRC, 2024) · search the archive · K-Swiss did not respond to tracker allegations in March 2024
- K-Swiss (Good On You directory) · search the archive · K-Swiss does not publish a supplier list or sufficient information on critical labour issues
- Xtep International ESG Report 2023 (HKEX) · search the archive · K-Swiss and Palladium manufacturing is outsourced; new-brand suppliers passed third-party footwear audits; 0 child or forced labour incidents in 2023
- Loeb represents Xtep International in strategic disposal of KP Global (Loeb & Loeb, 2024) · search the archive · Xtep sold KP Global (K-Swiss, Palladium) to its controlling Ding family for US$151 million in 2024
- K-Swiss Tennis Shoes (Tennis Warehouse Australia) · search the archive · K-Swiss tennis shoes sold by Tennis Warehouse, which has a shop in Heidelberg West, Victoria
- K-Swiss (Wikipedia) · search the archive · Founded 1966 in Los Angeles; HQ Glendale, California; owned by Xtep from 2019 then KP Global from 2024
Published by K-Swiss or its owner
- Classic VN Heritage (K-Swiss) · search the archive · Signature Classic shoe has a genuine full-grain leather upper; no country of manufacture given
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is K-Swiss ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/k-swiss, last researched 3 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 K-Swiss.