Merrell
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
US outdoor brand selling hiking boots and trail shoes.
There's no proof Merrell pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage, and it has no full independent audit.
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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 unaudited production 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 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 2
- 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
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From press and retailer reports; Merrell doesn't say where its 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 |
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | 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 |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| 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 Merrell products are made by third-party factories that Wolverine World Wide says are almost all in the Asia Pacific region. It does not publish a factory list or production shares by country; import records point mainly to Vietnam and China. Wolverine audits factories against SA8000, mostly with its own auditors, and reported 155 audits covering 96% of Tier 1 factories in 2024, but publishes no findings. All its leather comes from Leather Working Group Gold or Silver tanneries. It has no living wage commitment for Merrell, and Good On You rates its labour practices 'Not Good Enough'.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Wolverine World Wide publishes an anti-human trafficking statement under the UK Modern Slavery Act; it reports 156 factory audits in 2023 but no findings or cases. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Problem found | Wolverine Worldwide profile lists five stories, including layoffs and unpaid severance at an Argentine factory making Hush Puppies; none name Merrell. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Merrell - Good On You · search the archive · People rating 2/5 'Not Good Enough'; not taking adequate steps to ensure a living wage
- Wolverine World Wide Form 10-K (fiscal 2025) · search the archive · Substantially all units sourced from numerous third-party manufacturers in the Asia Pacific region
- Wolverine Worldwide Releases 2024 Global Impact Report · search the archive · 155 social compliance audits covering 96% of Tier 1 factories; all leather from LWG Gold or Silver tanneries
- Wolverine World Wide pursues dual China-Vietnam strategy (Panjiva) · search the archive · Import records: Vietnam and China each about 38.7% of Wolverine's US imports in 2019
- Formula4Media: Factory closures impact Merrell's Q3 topline · search the archive · Merrell hit by closed factories in southern Vietnam
Published by Merrell or its owner
- Wolverine Worldwide - California supply chain disclosure · search the archive · SA8000-based audits by internal and third-party auditors; 108 internal audits in 2025; no factory list
- Wolverine 2023 Anti-Human Trafficking and Transparency in Supply Chain Statement · search the archive · 156 factories audited in 2023, about 80% internally; living wage required only in Sweaty Betty code
Company details
- Owned by
- Wolverine World Wide
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Merrell ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/merrell, 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 Merrell.