Novo Shoes
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 4 sources
Melbourne chain selling low-priced women's footwear.
Novo Shoes scored 18/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, and we couldn't confirm where it makes most of its affordable women's fashion footwear.
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.
Better-graded footwear
Graded higher than Novo Shoes, 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.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Novo Shoes? Send a right of reply.
Compare Novo Shoes with another brand
Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 3 red flags: no evidence of a living wage, a hidden, unaudited supply chain, probably in high-risk countries and a failing or very low rating (Ethical Fashion Report 18/100 in 2026). 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 (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton
Red flags 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain, probably mostly in countries with poor worker rights
- Red flag: Failing or very low score on an independent rating: Ethical Fashion Report 18/100 (2026)
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 Novo Shoes 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
- 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.
Research notes Novo Shoes does not say where its shoes are made, publishes no supplier list and has no labour certifications or living wage commitment. It scored 18/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (up from 8 in 2024) and 0/100 in Tearfund NZ's 2022 footwear report, which found no traced factories and no public labour policies. No modern slavery statement from Novo or its parent, The Shoe Group, was found on the Australian register.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Problem found | Scored 18 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (average 31.5), after 8 in 2024. View |
| News reporting and NGO investigations | Listed | Scored 0 out of 100 in Tearfund NZ's 2022 footwear report, with no factories traced at any stage and no public supplier list. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 4
Show all 4 sources
- Novo Shoes - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: Novo Shoes Group scored 18/100 (average 31.5); 100% owned by The Shoe Group; 621 employees (2022)
- Footwear: An Industry Laced with Exploitation - appendix (Tearfund NZ, 2022) · search the archive · Novo Shoes scored 0/100; no policies, 0% of facilities traced, no supplier list
- Footwear brands in firing line over Tearfund ethics report (Inside Retail NZ, 2022) · search the archive · Novo Shoes tied for lowest score (0%) among 25 footwear companies
- Novo talks Spendless purchase (Inside Retail, 2019) · search the archive · Novo Shoes Group bought Spendless Shoes in 2019; Novo had more than 100 stores in Australia and NZ
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Employees
- About 621
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Novo Shoes ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/novo-shoes, 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 Novo Shoes.