Redback Boots
Good. Shows the people who make its products are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
Australian maker of elastic-sided work boots in its own factory.
Redback Boots makes most of its leather work boots in its own factories in Australia and carries the Australian Made label.
Also worth knowing
Ethical Clothing Australia checks that every worker in its Australian supply chain is paid award wages and entitlements.
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Why it's graded Good
- Met: Meets all 6 Good requirements.
- Met: No red flags.
| Star | Awarded for | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Pays above a living wage | Not earned | |
| Gives workers a real voice | Not earned | |
| Open supply chain | Not earned | |
| Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities | Not earned |
3 stars for the first way it goes above and beyond, and one more for each further way, up to 6. About stars
Good requirements 6 of 6
- Met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: award wages independently checked (Ethical Clothing Australia)
- Met: Respects worker rights
- 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 listMakes its products in its own factories
- Met: High-risk raw materials (leather) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeTraced or certified: leather
Red flags 0
None found.
Accreditations 2
- Ethical Clothing AustraliaCounts as proof of a living wage for products made in Australia, because it checks workers get the legal pay rates for their job, and in Australia those are about a living wage.
- Australian MadeCounts as made in Australia for the final stage. For Good, the brand also needs to show where its materials and parts are made.
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Redback Boots's evidence and, where it has product lines, that line's countries. They're estimates: we don't know which factory made any single item.
Boots, Workwear: Good, the same as Redback Boots overall, because nothing we know differs between them.
Holding one? Scan its barcode for an estimate that uses its care label or ingredients.
Where it's made
From Redback Boots's own disclosure: it makes its products in its own factories. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 70% | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | 9% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| BangladeshUsual for the industry | 6% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | 5% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | 3% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| CambodiaUsual for the industry | 2% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| TürkiyeUsual for the industry | 2% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | 2% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| PakistanUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Passes the raw-material check for clothes and shoes: traces or certifies all of its leather.
- Owns or runs its own production
- Uses little or no cotton (e.g. wool, linen or leather products)
- Traces all of its leather to the country of origin or beyond, or buys all of it certified
Research notes Redback makes its boots in its own factory in Alexandria, Sydney, about 650,000 pairs a year, and is accredited by Ethical Clothing Australia, which checks that workers in its Australian supply chain receive award wages and entitlements. Leather is described as Australian and New Zealand cow hide, though the tanneries are not named. US investment firm Ares Management took a majority stake in 2025-26 and plans to expand production; there is no sign so far of any range moving offshore.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Ethical Clothing Australia | Certified | Listed as accredited in Ethical Clothing Australia's current brand directory, marked majority made in Australia; still listed as accredited in November 2026. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Not graded in the Ethical Fashion Report (2026 is the latest edition), which covers larger companies. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No supply chain labour allegations against Redback Boots found in news or NGO reporting. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Ethical Clothing Australia: Redback Boots · search the archive · Accredited by ECA with a 'Majority Made in Australia' badge; still listed in November 2026.
- Shop Ethical: Redback Boots · search the archive · Rated C (updated July 2026); most products made in Australia and ECA accredited; Ares holds 70% since 2025.
- Ragtrader: Australian bootmaker acquired by US group (Dec 2025) · search the archive · Ares Management buying a majority stake, closing expected Q1 2026; manufacturing in Sydney; no offshore plans mentioned.
- Business News Australia: Ares Management acquiring majority stake in Redback Boots · search the archive · All footwear made at one factory in Alexandria, Sydney; about 650,000 pairs a year; Ares plans to expand production.
- Apple Saddlery: About Redback · search the archive · Every pair made at the Alexandria factory from Australian and New Zealand cow hides; tanneries not named.
Published by Redback Boots or its owner
- Redback Boots: Our Story · search the archive · Founded 1989 by the Cloros family; 2026 entry says boots are still made in its Sydney workshop.
- Redback Boots homepage · search the archive · Boots handcrafted in Sydney from full-grain leather sourced locally in Australia (supports usesLeather, fullyTracedLeather).
Company details
- Owned by
- Ares Management
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Employees
- About 100
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Redback Boots ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/redback-boots, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Good 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 Redback Boots.