Naturalizer

Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.

Last researched 1 November 2026 · 3 sources

US women's comfort shoe brand owned by footwear group Caleres.

Naturalizer 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 Naturalizer, selling the same kinds of things. Second-hand first.

14 op shops and resale platforms, Good by ruleBuying second-hand or refurbished: Blue Spinach and SWOP Clothing Exchange and 12 more · See them allGood Jumbo Ugg AustraliaClothing & footwearAustralian-made sheepskin ugg bootsIts own factories in Australia hold Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation.GoodVerified Redback BootsClothing & footwearAustralian-made leather work bootsIts own factories in Australia hold Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation.GoodGoes Above and Beyond VejaClothing & footwearSneakersHolds Fair Trade USA factory certification.GoodGoes Above and Beyond

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 2 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, 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.

How grades are decided

Good requirements 2 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
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: cotton and leather

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

These are Caleres' countries across all its brands; Naturalizer doesn't say where its own products are made. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.

Where it's made, share by country, and conditions there
Country	Share	Worker rights	Legal minimum wage	Forced labour risk
Vietnam	63%	Systematic violations	Well below a living wage	Moderate
China	21%	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	Moderate
Cambodia	10%	No guarantee of rights	Far below a living wage	Moderate
Bangladesh	4%	No guarantee of rights	Far below a living wage	Moderate
India	2%	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
IndonesiaUsual for the industry	under 1%	No guarantee of rights	Well below a living wage	Moderate
PakistanUsual for the industry	under 1%	No guarantee of rights	Far below a living wage	High

Evidence

What we found

Independent social audits of all its main factories
Doesn't show where its cotton comes from. Cotton is linked to forced labour in Xinjiang and Turkmenistan, and child labour in several growing regions, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
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 Naturalizer does not say where its own shoes are made; the countries are Caleres's group-wide footwear sourcing for 2025 (Vietnam about 63%, China 20%, Cambodia 10%, Bangladesh 4%, India 2%), down from about half in China in 2024. Caleres uses 86 contract footwear factories; those making 92% of volume are assessed yearly by LRQA or similar schemes, but it publishes no factory list and no living wage figures. Its only own factories make Allen Edmonds shoes. Caleres says 98% of its leather met its preferred-materials threshold but gives no tannery locations.

Sources and actions

Sources 3

Show all 3 sources

Caleres Inc. Form 10-K FY2025 · search the archive · 2024 sourcing about 50% China, 42.5% Vietnam; own factories make Allen Edmonds only; Naturalizer sold through wholesale partners in 34 countries
Naturalizer Women's Layla Shoe - David Jones · search the archive · Naturalizer women's shoes listed by David Jones, an Australian department store

Published by Naturalizer or its owner

2025 Caleres Responsible Business Summary Report · search the archive · 2025 sourcing by country (Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Bangladesh, India); 86 factories; core factories with 92% of volume assessed annually; 98% of leather preferred

Company details

Owned by: Caleres
Headquarters: United States
Last researched: 1 November 2026
Cite this page: Labour Lens, "Is Naturalizer ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/naturalizer, last researched 1 November 2026, accessed [date].
Method: Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means

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