Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
US footwear brand known for its sheepskin boots.
UGG can't show that the workers who make its products in Vietnam and Indonesia 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, Indonesia and China.
- 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 (cotton and leather) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: cotton and leather
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 Deckers Brands' supplier list, which covers UGG and its sister brands. UGG 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 | 57% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | 26% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| China | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Cambodia | 4% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Thailand | 4% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Philippines | 4% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| BangladeshUsual for the industry | under 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | under 1% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| TürkiyeUsual for the industry | under 1% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| PakistanUsual for the industry | under 1% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
Evidence
What we found
- Publishes supplier list
- Modern slavery statement
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- Doesn't show where its cotton comes from. Cotton is linked to forced labour in Xinjiang and Turkmenistan, and child labour in several growing regions, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
- 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 UGG is owned by US company Deckers Brands, whose independent factories are mainly in Vietnam and Indonesia, with under 5% from China or any other single country. Shares here count Deckers' 23 footwear factories by country; no split by brand is published. UGG's sheepskin comes mainly from Australia and is tanned at two tanneries in China. Deckers publishes Tier 1 and Tier 2 supplier lists and audits its final-stage factories, and scored 36/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, above average, but has no published living wage commitment or remedy process for supply chain workers.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Listed | Parent Deckers Brands scored 36 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (average 31.5), after 41 in 2024. View |
| Fashion Transparency Index (Fashion Revolution) | Listed | Deckers Brands scored 57% in the 2023 Fashion Transparency Index, above the 26% average. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Deckers responded in March 2024 to a Who Pays for the Crisis tracker allegation about a supplier factory, saying no mass layoffs occurred. 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.
- A Clean Clothes Campaign 'Who pays for the crisis' tracker entry linked Deckers to pandemic-era claims against a supplier factory; Deckers said in 2024 that the supplier, Shoe Premier II, reported no mass layoffs or terminations (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, 2024). Source
- Workers at Pulido Apparel's San Luis factory in Batangas, Philippines, a reported UGG supplier, alleged in 2019 that it closed to break their union and then rehired while blacklisting union members; Deckers responded (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, 2019). Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Deckers Brands - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Ethical Fashion Report 2026 score 36/100 (avg 31.5); FTI 2023 57%; Transparency Pledge aligned; KnowTheChain 2023 22/100
- UGG - Good On You · search the archive · People rating 3/5 (2026); audits all final production; no evidence of living wages
- KnowTheChain 2023 Apparel & Footwear scorecard: Deckers · search the archive · Scored 22/100; no disclosed remedy for supply chain workers; publishes Tier 1 and Tier 2 supplier lists
- Deckers Brands response to Who Pays for the Crisis tracker allegations (BHRRC, March 2024) · search the archive · Deckers said supplier Shoe Premier II reported no mass layoffs or terminations in the period cited
- Deckers Outdoor Corp Form 10-K, fiscal 2026 · search the archive · Finished goods made by independent manufacturers, mainly Vietnam and Indonesia; under 5% from China or any other single country
Published by UGG or its owner
- Deckers Statement against Modern Slavery (FY2024) · search the archive · Covers UGG and HOKA; announced and unannounced Tier 1 audits; Tier 1 and Tier 2 supplier lists published
- Deckers Brands Global Manufacturing Locations (Tier 1, as of April 2026) · search the archive · 45 Tier 1 factories (April 2026); footwear: Vietnam 13, Indonesia 6, China, Cambodia, Thailand, Philippines 1 each
Company details
- Owned by
- Deckers Brands
- Headquarters
- United States
- Employees
- About 6,000
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is UGG ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/ugg, 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 UGG.