Sandler
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 5 sources
Australian women's footwear brand.
Sandler is rated as part of a company that scored 2/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, 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 3 red flags: no evidence of a living wage, a hidden, unaudited supply chain in high-risk countries and a failing or very low rating (Ethical Fashion Report 2/100 in 2026, for the company it's rated with). 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 (leather) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: leather
Red flags 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain, mostly in countries with poor worker rights
- Red flag: Failing or very low score on an independent rating: Ethical Fashion Report 2/100 (2026, the company it's rated with)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
These are its parent group's countries across all its brands; Sandler doesn't say where its own products are made. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| BangladeshUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well 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
- Uses little or no cotton (e.g. wool, linen or leather products)
- 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 Sandler is designed and sourced by W M Ritchie, whose subsidiary J Robins & Sons makes some Sandler shoes in Belmore, NSW, while other shoes are sourced from overseas factories in countries it does not name. The group's ethical sourcing code requires at least the legal or industry wage, a 50-hour weekly limit and supplier audits twice a year, but it publishes no supplier list or living wage commitment. Its Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation ended in 2018, and W M Ritchie scored 2/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report. Sandler describes itself as a leather footwear brand.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Problem found | Owner W M Ritchie scored 2 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (average 31.5), after 2 in 2024. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- W M Ritchie - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: W M Ritchie scored 2/100 (average 31.5); its brands include Sandler; local manufacturing at Belmore
- J Robins & Sons - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · W M Ritchie subsidiary J Robins makes Sandler, Easy Steps, Wide Steps and Jane Debster shoes at Belmore NSW; ECA accreditation ended 2018
Published by Sandler or its owner
- Shoe HQ - Ethical Sourcing Policy · search the archive · W M Ritchie code: wages at least legal or industry benchmark, 50-hour week cap, bans child and forced labour, audits at least twice a year
- Shoe HQ - About us · search the archive · W M Ritchie is the parent of Sandler, Ravella, Easy Steps, Wide Steps, Jane Debster and other brands
- About Sandler (Shoe HQ) · search the archive · Iconic Australian leather footwear brand; leather boots and soft leathers
Company details
- Owned by
- W M Ritchie (Australia) Pty Ltd
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Sandler ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/sandler, 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 Sandler.