Mizuno
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
Japanese sporting goods maker selling running shoes and golf clubs.
Mizuno can't show that the workers who make its products in Vietnam and Cambodia earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Better-graded footwear
Graded higher than Mizuno, selling the same kinds of things. Second-hand first.
Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 3 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
- It isn't Harm on record: the most serious problem on its record (union rights breach, last recorded in 2024) was found by its own checks and is being fixed.
- 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.
- Checks its own supply chain. Mizuno looks for problems in its own supply chain and publishes what it finds. It found a union rights breach in 2024 and is fixing it, so it doesn't count against the grade. It's listed below under Confirmed issues.
Good requirements 3 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsJudged on where its products are made: worker rights are poorly protected in Vietnam, China and Cambodia.
- 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
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listPublishes its supplier list
- Not met: High-risk raw materials (cotton, leather and natural rubber) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: natural rubber
Red flags 1
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Mizuno's own disclosure: it publishes its supplier list. Its list covers only part of its range. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnam | 36% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| China | 32% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Japan | 11% | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Cambodia | 8% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Thailand | 4% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | 2% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Taiwan | 2% | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Philippines | 2% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Myanmar | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Very high |
| South Korea | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Close to a living wage | Low |
| BangladeshUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | under 1% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| TürkiyeUsual for the industry | under 1% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| PakistanUsual for the industry | under 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Publishes supplier list
- Modern slavery statement
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- Doesn't show where its natural rubber comes from. Natural rubber is linked to forced and child labour on some rubber plantations, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
- Uses cotton and leather in only a few products and doesn't show where they come from. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of them traced, certified or upcycled.
Research notes Mizuno makes shoes, sportswear and equipment in a few of its own factories and at 491 first-tier suppliers. It publishes a supplier list; the shares are its stated procurement spend by country across all products, including equipment (Vietnam 37.1%, China 31.8%, Japan 11.3%, Cambodia 8.6%; the published table adds up to 101.7%). Its audits found union interference and missing complaint channels, mostly unresolved, and 35% of 2025 non-conformities were still open in March 2026. It has no living wage commitment and is not rated in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report. Some football boots use kangaroo leather.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Listed | Scored 18% (44.8 out of 250) in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, below the 26% average and down from 61.5 out of 250 in 2019. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Company profile notes Mizuno is aligned with the Transparency Pledge on supplier disclosure and that Fashion Checker found no public evidence that suppliers pay a living wage. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not listed | Not rated in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report; its ethical.org.au page shows only Fashion Transparency Index results (18% in 2023). View |
Confirmed issues 1
Only confirmed problems are listed, and old ones drop off after 10 to 15 years. A problem the company has fully put right no longer counts against it, and nor does one it finds and is fixing itself. How problems are counted
| Last recorded | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Mizuno's own 2024 supplier audits found interference with union formation, flawed selection of worker representatives and no worker complaint mechanisms at some suppliers, as it reported in its sustainability data.Found and being fixed by the company Not counted against the grade while the company is actively fixing it, because it found and published it itself. | PartlyMizuno asked suppliers to correct the findings, but four of the five human rights problems were still unresolved at the end of March 2025. |
Unconfirmed reports
Credible reports that haven't been confirmed by a regulator, completed investigation or the company. They're shown for your information and don't affect the grade.
- In 2024 the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre's 'Who Pays for the Crisis' tracker asked Mizuno about mass layoffs in 2023 at its supplier PouYuen Vietnam; Mizuno said its audits found no labour problems but described no remedy for laid-off workers. Source
- In 2023 workers at the Handa (Yangon) garment factory in Myanmar, where Mizuno is named as a buyer, reported unpaid overtime for missed targets, wage deductions, denial of leave and poor ventilation; Mizuno did not respond to the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC, 2023-2024). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Mizuno's response to Who Pays for the Crisis tracker allegations (BHRRC, 2024) · search the archive · Mizuno confirms PouYuen Vietnam is a supplier and that it cut staff in 2023; no remedy described
- Mizuno company profile (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre) · search the archive · FTI scores 2019-2023; Transparency Pledge aligned; no public evidence of living wages (Fashion Checker)
- Mizuno plans to phase out kangaroo leather (Fashion Dive, 2025) · search the archive · 28 Mizuno football boot models used kangaroo leather; gradual phase-out planned with no timeline (minorLeather)
- Mizuno Wave Rider 27 review (Road Trail Run) · search the archive · Flagship running shoe has a rubber outsole and a recycled synthetic mesh upper (usesRubber; mostly synthetic, minorCotton)
Published by Mizuno or its owner
- Social | ESG Data | Mizuno Corporation · search the archive · 491 Tier 1 suppliers; procurement share by country: VN 37.1%, CN 31.8%, JP 11.3%, KH 8.6%; 3,688 staff FY2025; 77 of 222 audit findings open
- Supply chain | Sustainability Report | Mizuno Corporation · search the archive · Supplier list since FY2017; key suppliers audited every 3 years; FY2024 audits found union interference and no grievance channels, 4 of 5 uncorrected
- Mitigation of Environmental Impact in Products | Mizuno · search the archive · Main materials reported are recycled polyester and other synthetics; no material traceability or certified sourcing described
Company details
- Headquarters
- Japan
- Employees
- About 3,688
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Mizuno ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/mizuno, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Mizuno.