Sebago
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
US footwear brand known for Docksides boat shoes.
Sebago publishes no certification, independent audit or supplier list.
Also worth knowing
There's no proof it pays more than the legal minimum, which in the Dominican Republic is well below a living wage.
Better-graded footwear
Graded higher than Sebago, 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 Sebago? Send a right of reply.
Compare Sebago with another brand
Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and a hidden supply chain. 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 rightsJudged on where its products are made: worker rights are poorly protected in El Salvador, China and Bangladesh.
- 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 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain: no certification, independent audits or supplier list
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Sebago names some of the countries it makes in: the Dominican Republic, Mexico and El Salvador. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dominican Republic | Strong protections | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Mexico | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| El Salvador | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | High |
| 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 Sebago shoes are made by independent manufacturers for owner BasicNet; Sebago says production is in the Dominican Republic, Mexico and El Salvador, plus a few small specialist makers in Southeast Asia, and a small Made in USA Docksides line followed in 2026, but no factory list or country shares are published. BasicNet asks suppliers to follow an ILO-based code of conduct but discloses no independent audit results, leather traceability or living wage commitment. Sebago is not in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, and no labour abuses linked to its factories have been reported.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not listed | Neither Sebago nor BasicNet is rated in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Sebago (Good On You directory) · search the archive · People rating 1/5; final production location undisclosed; no living wage evidence; uses leather and does not trace it
- BasicNet 2025 Annual Report (FinancialFilings) · search the archive · Products made by licensed sourcing centres under an ILO-based code; no audit results or country breakdown
- Sebago marks 80th anniversary with Made in USA Docksides (Pulse, via Footwear News) · search the archive · May 2026: Made in USA Docksides in two colourways; no maker named
Published by Sebago or its owner
- About Sebago (Sebago USA) · search the archive · Made by companies in the Dominican Republic, Mexico and El Salvador plus a few specialist makers in Southeast Asia; part of BasicNet since 2017
- About Sebago (Sebago South Africa) · search the archive · Made in the Dominican Republic, Mexico and El Salvador plus a few specialist makers in Southeast Asia; BasicNet bought Sebago from Wolverine in 2017
- Women's Boat Shoes (Sebago) · search the archive · Range is leather, suede and nubuck with rubber soles; ships to rest of world
Company details
- Headquarters
- Italy
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Sebago ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/sebago, last researched 3 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 Sebago.