Koalabi Australia
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
Melbourne family maker of sheepskin footwear.
Koalabi Australia makes these lines in different places, so each has its own grade rather than one for the whole company.
Australian-made boots and slippers On Track
Pays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.
Koalabi Australia makes its boots and slippers in its own factories in Australia, and carries the Australian Made label. Ethical Clothing Australia checks that every worker in its Australian supply chain is paid award wages and entitlements.
Fashion boots, platforms and accessories Lacks transparency
Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Koalabi Australia doesn't say where its fashion boots, platforms and accessories are made. 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.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Koalabi Australia? Send a right of reply.
Compare Koalabi Australia with another brand
Graded by product line
Each line is graded on its own countries and certifications. Problems found anywhere count against every line unless they clearly belong to one.
| Line | Grade | Made in | Why it isn't Good |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian-made boots and slippersAbout 40 styles, made in Australia and accredited by Ethical Clothing Australia. | On Track | Australia Source |
|
| Fashion boots, platforms and accessoriesMost of the range. Made overseas in countries it doesn't name. | Lacks transparency | Not confirmed Source |
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. |
There's no grade for the whole company, so these checks combine its product lines: a check is met only when every line meets it. What each line is missing is in the table above.
Good requirements, all lines 1 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationMet for Australian-made boots and slippers only
- Not met: Respects worker rightsMet for Australian-made boots and slippers only
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standardsMet for Australian-made boots and slippers only
- 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 listMet for Australian-made boots and slippers only
- Not met: High-risk raw materials (such as cotton and leather) traced or certified, or not a major part of its range
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wageFashion boots, platforms and accessories only
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain, probably mostly in countries with poor worker rightsFashion boots, platforms and accessories only
Where it's made
Where its Australian-made boots and slippers are made
From Koalabi Australia's own disclosure: it makes its Australian-made boots and slippers in its own factories.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
Where its fashion boots, platforms and accessories are madeNot confirmed
We couldn't confirm where Koalabi Australia makes its fashion boots, platforms and accessories, 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 across the company
- Uses little or no cotton (e.g. wool, linen or leather products)
- Makes part of its range in its own factories
- 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 Only Koalabi's Australian Made collection, about 40 boot and slipper styles made in Melbourne, is accredited by Ethical Clothing Australia and labelled Australian made. The rest of the range, roughly 90 products including fashion boots, platforms and accessories, is described only as designed in Melbourne and 'manufactured overseas', with no country or factory named. The company publishes no supplier list, labour policy or audit information for its overseas production.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Ethical Clothing Australia | Certified | Listed by Ethical Clothing Australia, but the accreditation covers only the Australian Made collection, a small part of the range. View |
| B Corp directory | Not listed | No B Corp certification is claimed by the company. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No supply chain labour allegations against Koalabi appear in news coverage. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Ethical Clothing Australia: Koalabi Australia · search the archive · Specific product lines, the Australian Made collection, are made in Melbourne from local sheepskin and accredited; part of the Binder Enterprise family.
- Australian Made: Jumbo Ugg Australia and Koalabi Australia · search the archive · Australian Made licensee owned by Binder Enterprise P/L, Melbourne; registered products Jumbo Ugg Australia and Koalabi Ugg Boots.
Published by Koalabi Australia or its owner
- Koalabi: Australian Made collection · search the archive · 40 products listed in the Australian Made collection (November 2026).
- Koalabi: All products · search the archive · About 128 products across the full range, over three pages (November 2026).
- Koalabi: Birdie Platform · search the archive · Origin: 'Designed in Melbourne, Australia by Binder Enterprise and manufactured overseas.'
- Koalabi: Bentleigh · search the archive · Origin: 'Designed and Manufactured in Australia', crafted in Melbourne.
- Koalabi: About us · search the archive · Binder Enterprise Pty Ltd, second-generation sheepskin footwear manufacturer established 1989 in Melbourne, owns the brand; no ethics statements.
Company details
- Owned by
- Binder Enterprise Pty Ltd
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Koalabi Australia ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/koalabi, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What the grades mean
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 Koalabi Australia.