Umbro

Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.

Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources

English football brand selling teamwear and boots.

Umbro can't show that the workers who make its products in Bangladesh and Vietnam earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.

Also worth knowing

It has no full independent audit.

Better-graded activewear

Graded higher than Umbro, selling the same kinds of things.

DK ActiveMissing: where its earlier stages happen · Clothing & footwearWomen's activewear and athleisurePays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackPartly verified WinterluxeMissing: traced raw materials · Clothing & footwearThermal tights and winter activewearPays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackVerified Nimble ActivewearMissing: where its earlier stages happen and a named supplier list · Clothing & footwearWomen's activewear and loungewear.Pays or is working towards a living wage, with gaps still to close.On TrackPartly verified

No activewear brand selling new goods is Good yet. These are the strongest so far.

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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 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.

How grades are decided

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 (cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: 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

These are its parent group's countries across all its brands; Umbro doesn't say where its own products are made. The rest is shown as where clothes and shoes are usually made.

Where it's made, and conditions there
Country	Worker rights	Legal minimum wage	Forced labour risk
China	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	Moderate
Bangladesh	No guarantee of rights	Far below a living wage	Moderate
Vietnam	Systematic violations	Well below a living wage	Moderate
India	No guarantee of rights	Well below a living wage	High
Indonesia	No guarantee of rights	Well below a living wage	Moderate
Brazil	Systematic violations	Below a living wage	Moderate
Spain	Strong protections	Close to a living wage	Low
Thailand	No guarantee of rights	Below a living wage	Moderate
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
PakistanUsual for the industry	No guarantee of rights	Far below a living wage	High

Evidence

What we found

Modern slavery statement
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.

Research notes Umbro is a licensing brand: Iconix owns the name and regional licensees make and sell the products. In Australia the range is handled by Brand Collective, whose suppliers are in Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Spain, Thailand and Vietnam; it gives no shares by country and no Umbro factory list. Brand Collective requires suppliers to pay at least the legal minimum wage, has no living wage commitment and scored 9/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report. No confirmed labour abuses tied to Umbro products in the last 15 years were found.

What independent sources say

Source	Result	Details
Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report	Listed	Umbro is not rated on its own in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report; Australian licensee Brand Collective, which owns 45% of the Iconix Australia joint venture, scored 9 out of 100 (average 31.5). View
Australian Modern Slavery Register	Listed	Brand Collective's FY2024 modern slavery statement names supplier countries (Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Spain, Thailand, Vietnam) and lists Umbro under its supplier code; no cases reported. View
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre	Listed	Umbro did not respond to a September 2025 request about the closure of a Dass factory in Argentina that left 300 workers without jobs. View

Sources and actions

Sources 6

Show all 6 sources

Brand Collective - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: Brand Collective scored 9/100 (average 31.5); Umbro listed under Iconix Australia JV, 45% Brand Collective
Umbro's non-response to mass layoff at Dass factory (BHRRC) · search the archive · Umbro did not respond to BHRRC about 300 layoffs at a Dass factory in Argentina (2025)
Umbro re-enters Australia with stockist rollout (Ragtrader) · search the archive · 2024 Australian relaunch by Brand Collective subsidiary Designworks; sold at Big W, Intersport, Ultra Football, Sportspower
Umbro secures new licensing partners ahead of 2026 relaunch (FashionUnited) · search the archive · Iconix International is Umbro's parent; licensees named for North America
Iconix hires JP Morgan to explore sale (Peru Retail) · search the archive · October 2026: Iconix, owner of Umbro, exploring a sale; no buyer agreed

Published by Umbro or its owner

Brand Collective Modern Slavery Statement FY2024 · search the archive · Supplier countries named without shares; Umbro in supplier code brand list; suppliers must pay at least minimum wage

Company details

Owned by: Iconix International; Australian licence held by Iconix Australia (45% Brand Collective)
Headquarters: United Kingdom
Last researched: 3 November 2026
Cite this page: Labour Lens, "Is Umbro ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/umbro, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
Method: Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means

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