Williams
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 6 sources
Australian footwear retail chain founded in 1864.
Williams' parent, Munro Footwear Group, scored 19/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report.
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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 a failing or very low rating (Ethical Fashion Report 19/100 in 2026, for the company it's rated with). Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record: the most serious problem on its record (forced labour link, last recorded in 2021) was found by its own checks and is being fixed.
- 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.
- Checks its own supply chain. Williams looks for problems in its own supply chain and publishes what it finds. It found forced labour in 2021, a labour rights breach in 2023 and unpaid or underpaid wages in 2024 and is fixing them, so they don't count against the grade. They're listed below under Confirmed issues.
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 rightsJudged on where its products are made: worker rights are poorly protected in China, Bangladesh and India.
- 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 it isn't fixingIts own checks found forced labour, which it is fixing. That's listed below and doesn't count against the grade.
- 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: Failing or very low score on an independent rating: Ethical Fashion Report 19/100 (2026, the company it's rated with)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
These are Munro Footwear Group's countries across all its brands; Williams doesn't say where its own 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 |
| BangladeshUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Türkiye | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| Indonesia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Pakistan | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | High |
| CambodiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Australia | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- 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 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 Williams sells Munro Footwear Group's own brands (such as Colorado and Diana Ferrari) alongside outside brands like Skechers. Munro publishes no supplier list; it names its main factory countries as Turkey, China, Indonesia, India, Pakistan and Australia, without saying which make the shoes Williams sells. Munro audits factories every two years and has reported a past slave labour case at a supplier, unregistered migrant workers in Turkey and underpayment in Indonesia. It checks wages only against the legal minimum, has no living wage commitment and scored 19/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report. About 53% of its leather came from Leather Working Group tanneries.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Problem found | Owner Munro Footwear Group scored 19 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (average 31.5), after 37 in 2024. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Covered by Munro Footwear Group's annual modern slavery statement; the FY25 statement lists 55 manufacturing suppliers with 93 final assembly factories in 15 countries; 21 critical non-compliances found, most resolved. View |
Confirmed issues 3
Only confirmed problems are listed, and old ones drop off after 10 to 15 years. A problem the company has fully put right no longer counts against it, and nor does one it finds and is fixing itself. How problems are counted
| Last recorded | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | A site audit and an independent legal review found workers at an Indonesian supplier factory were underpaid, as reported in Munro Footwear Group's FY24 modern slavery statement (MFG, 2024). Source · search the archiveFound and being fixed by the company Not counted against the grade while the company is actively fixing it, because it found and published it itself. | PartlyMFG hired a legal expert and set a fix plan; later audits found the underpayment resolved going forward, but no back pay to workers was reported. |
| 2023 | An audit found unregistered Syrian migrant workers at a Turkish supplier factory, as reported in Munro Footwear Group's FY23 modern slavery statement (MFG, 2023). Source · search the archiveFound and being fixed by the company Not counted against the grade while the company is actively fixing it, because it found and published it itself. | PartlyA follow-up check found the workers were paid correctly; the registration problem was still being fixed at the end of the reporting year. |
| 2021 | Link through a supplierMunro Footwear Group's 2021 modern slavery statement reports that a supplier factory disclosed it had used slave labour; the country, timing and which labels it made were not stated (MFG, 2021). Source · search the archiveFound and being fixed by the company Not counted against the grade while the company is actively fixing it, because it found and published it itself. | PartlyMFG kept working with the factory on corrective action while reducing its orders, and sent another supplier for a deep-dive review and site audit. |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Munro Footwear Group - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: Munro Footwear Group scored 19/100 (average 31.5); Owns Williams, Mathers and Mountfords stores
Published by Williams or its owner
- Munro Footwear Group FY25 Modern Slavery Statement · search the archive · 55 suppliers, 93 factories in 15 countries; main factories Turkey, China, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Australia; audits every 2 years; 53% LWG leather
- Munro Footwear Group FY24 Modern Slavery Statement · search the archive · Underpayment found at an Indonesian factory and resolved going forward; 60 site audits; no living wage commitment
- Munro Footwear Group FY23 Modern Slavery Statement · search the archive · Audit found unregistered Syrian migrant workers at a Turkish factory; follow-up found no exploitation; remediation ongoing
- Munro Footwear Group FY21 Modern Slavery Statement · search the archive · A supplier factory disclosed past use of slave labour; MFG worked on corrective action; overtime found at an exclusive factory
- Williams - AI info page · search the archive · Part of Munro Footwear Group; over 140 stores; sells Colorado, Diana Ferrari and Skechers among other brands
Company details
- Owned by
- Munro Footwear Group
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Williams ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/williams, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
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Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Williams.