Sorel
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 4 sources
Columbia-owned brand known for winter boots.
Sorel can't show that the workers who make its products in Vietnam earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 3 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
- 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 3 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 Vietnam, China and Bangladesh.
- 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 listPublishes its supplier list
- Not met: High-risk raw materials (leather and natural rubber) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: natural rubber
Red flags 1
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
From Columbia Sportswear's supplier list, which covers Sorel and its sister brands. Sorel publishes no breakdown of its own, so these are group-wide shares. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnam | 82% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| China | 13% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| BangladeshUsual for the industry | 2% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| CambodiaUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| TürkiyeUsual for the industry | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | under 1% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| PakistanUsual for the industry | under 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Publishes supplier list
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- Modern slavery statement
- Uses little or no cotton (e.g. wool, linen or leather products)
- Doesn't show where its natural rubber comes from. Natural rubber is linked to forced and child labour on some rubber plantations, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
- Traces or certifies most but not all of its leather. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
Research notes Sorel is made by contract factories; Columbia Sportswear owns none. Group footwear, mostly Columbia and Sorel, came from four countries in 2025: about 80% Vietnam and 10% China, with five suppliers making about 80%; Sorel's own split is not published. Columbia publishes its factory list, uses its own and third-party audits and works with ILO Better Work, but has no living wage commitment. Worker abuses found at Columbia apparel factories in India and Indonesia are not linked to Sorel footwear. Columbia says its footwear leather comes from Leather Working Group-rated tanneries.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Listed | Parent Columbia Sportswear scored 37% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, above the 26% average. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Covered by Columbia Sportswear's joint UK/Canada/California supply chain statement for 2025, which reports Tier 1 and Tier 2 audits and makes no living wage commitment. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 4
Show all 4 sources
- Columbia Sportswear - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · FTI 2023 37%; not an Accord signatory
- Columbia Sportswear Form 10-K FY2025 · search the archive · No owned factories; footwear made in 4 countries, Vietnam about 80%, China about 10%; five suppliers about 80%
- Columbia innovating products (leather sourcing) · search the archive · 100% of footwear leather manufacturing partners LWG-rated in 2021; leather sourcing from LWG tanneries prioritised
Published by Sorel or its owner
- Columbia Sportswear joint supply chain statement RY2025 · search the archive · Own and third-party audits, Better Work partner; no living wage commitment
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Sorel ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/sorel, 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 Sorel.