Saucony
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 9 sources
US running brand selling road and trail shoes.
There's no proof Saucony pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage, and it has no full independent audit.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Saucony? Send a right of reply.
Compare Saucony with another brand
Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and unaudited production in high-risk countries. 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 2 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
- Met: High-risk raw materials (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeOnly in a few products: cotton
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From press and retailer reports; Saucony doesn't say where its products are made. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| BangladeshUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far 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 cotton in only a few products, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good. It doesn't show where its cotton comes from. The "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
- Modern slavery statement
Research notes Saucony products are made by third-party factories that Wolverine World Wide says are almost all in the Asia Pacific region. It does not publish a factory list or production shares by country; Vietnam and China are the group's main sourcing countries. Wolverine audits factories against SA8000, mostly with its own auditors, and reported 155 audits covering 96% of Tier 1 factories in 2024, but publishes no findings. There is no living wage commitment for Saucony, and Good On You rates its labour practices 'Not Good Enough'.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Wolverine World Wide publishes an anti-human trafficking statement under the UK Modern Slavery Act; it reports 156 factory audits in 2023 but no findings or cases. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Saucony profile lists two stories about mass layoffs at Philippine garment factories supplying several brands; Saucony answered none of two requests for a response. View |
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.
- About 4,000 workers at Sports City garment factories in Cebu, Philippines, which named Saucony among their clients, were reportedly laid off in 2020 without consultation; Saucony did not respond to the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. Source
Sources and actions
Sources 9
Show all 9 sources
- Saucony - Good On You · search the archive · People rating 2/5 'Not Good Enough'; no evidence workers are paid living wages (updated March 2026)
- Saucony - Business & Human Rights Resource Centre · search the archive · Two stories on Philippine factory layoffs; 0% response rate
- Philippines: Factories supplying global brands allegedly sack about 4,000 workers (BHRRC) · search the archive · Sports City subsidiaries in Mactan zone list Saucony as a client; Saucony did not respond
- Wolverine World Wide Form 10-K (fiscal 2025) · search the archive · Substantially all units sourced from numerous third-party manufacturers in the Asia Pacific region
- Wolverine Worldwide Releases 2024 Global Impact Report · search the archive · 155 social compliance audits covering 96% of Tier 1 factories in 2024
- Panjiva: Wolverine World Wide pursues dual China-Vietnam strategy (2020) · search the archive · Vietnam and China each accounted for 38.7% of Wolverine World Wide imports in 2019
- Panjiva: Wolverine claws its way down the labor cost ladder (2019) · search the archive · China about 25-30% of sourcing by end 2018, Vietnam about 45%
Published by Saucony or its owner
- Wolverine Worldwide - California supply chain disclosure · search the archive · SA8000-based audits by internal and third-party auditors; 108 internal audits in 2025; no factory list
- Wolverine 2023 Anti-Human Trafficking and Transparency in Supply Chain Statement · search the archive · 156 factories audited in 2023, about 80% internally; living wage required only in Sweaty Betty code
Company details
- Owned by
- Wolverine World Wide
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Saucony ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/saucony, 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 Saucony.