Windsor Smith
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 6 sources
Family-owned Melbourne footwear company.
Windsor Smith scored 0/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, and we couldn't confirm where it makes most of its men's and women's fashion footwear.
Also worth knowing
Most clothes and shoes are made in countries such as China and Bangladesh, where pay is usually below a living wage and unions are heavily restricted.
Better-graded footwear
Graded higher than Windsor Smith, 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 Windsor Smith? Send a right of reply.
Compare Windsor Smith with another brand
Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 3 red flags: no evidence of a living wage, a hidden, unaudited supply chain, probably in high-risk countries and a failing or very low rating (Ethical Fashion Report 0/100 in 2026). 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 rightsWhere clothes and shoes are usually made, such as China and Bangladesh, 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 (leather) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: leather
Red flags 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain, probably mostly in countries with poor worker rights
- Red flag: Failing or very low score on an independent rating: Ethical Fashion Report 0/100 (2026)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
We couldn't confirm where Windsor Smith makes most of its products, so this shows where clothes and shoes are usually made.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 30% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Bangladesh | 20% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Vietnam | 15% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | 10% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Cambodia | 8% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Türkiye | 7% | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Very high |
| Indonesia | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Pakistan | 5% | 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 Windsor Smith moved its production overseas in the 1990s but does not say which countries or factories make its shoes. It publishes no supplier list, modern slavery statement, audit results or wage commitment, and scored 0/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, as in 2022 and 2024. It began as a men's leather shoe brand, and leather and suede remain central to the range, but it does not say where its leather comes from or where it is tanned. No specific labour abuses linked to its suppliers have been reported.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Problem found | Scored 0 out of 100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report (average 31.5), after 0 in 2024. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Windsor Smith - Good Shopping Guide (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · 2026 Ethical Fashion Report: Windsor Smith scored 0/100 (average 31.5); Mance family owned; founded Melbourne 1946; production moved offshore in 1990s
- Australia's least ethical fashion brands (SmartCompany) · search the archive · Windsor Smith scored 0/100 in the 2022 Ethical Fashion Report
- Windsor Smith Grown boots - The Iconic · search the archive · Women's range includes suede leather boots
- Windsor Smith - Westfield Sydney · search the archive · Operating store listing in Westfield Sydney
Published by Windsor Smith or its owner
- Windsor Smith online store · search the archive · Live Australian store; founded 1946 as a men's leather footwear brand; leather shoes and belts; no country of manufacture stated
- Sustainability - Windsor Smith · search the archive · Covers recycled packaging only; no factories, countries, audits or leather sourcing disclosed
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Windsor Smith ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/windsor-smith, last researched 2 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 Windsor Smith.