Ziera
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 7 sources
NZ women's comfort footwear brand.
Ziera's parent, Munro Footwear Group, scored 19/100 in the 2026 Ethical Fashion Report, and workers in India and Indonesia are very unlikely to earn a living wage.
Better-graded footwear
Graded higher than Ziera, selling the same kinds of things. Second-hand first.
14 op shops and resale platforms, Good by ruleBuying second-hand or refurbished: Blue Spinach and SWOP Clothing Exchange and 12 more · See them allGoodJumbo Ugg AustraliaClothing & footwearAustralian-made sheepskin ugg bootsIts own factories in Australia hold Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation.GoodVerifiedRedback BootsClothing & footwearAustralian-made leather work bootsIts own factories in Australia hold Ethical Clothing Australia accreditation.GoodGoes Above and Beyond: Open supply chain3 starsVejaClothing & footwearSneakersHolds Fair Trade USA factory certification.GoodGoes Above and Beyond: Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities3 stars
Second-hand and refurbished goods create no new factory work, so they're Good by rule and come first.
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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. Ziera 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, India and Türkiye.
- 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 (cotton and 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; Ziera 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 |
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| 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 |
| Australia | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| BangladeshUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| CambodiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Modern slavery statement
- Independent social audits of all its main factories
- 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.
- Uses cotton in only a few products and doesn't show where it comes from. That doesn't count against it for Good, but the "Open supply chain" star needs all of it traced, certified or upcycled.
Research notes Ziera does not say where its shoes are made. Munro Footwear Group bought the brand in 2019 after the NZ family business went into administration. The group publishes no supplier list; it names its main factory countries as Turkey, China, Indonesia, India, Pakistan and Australia, without saying which make Ziera or how much is made where. It audits factories at onboarding and every two years and reports problems found at suppliers. It has no living wage commitment, and its Ethical Fashion Report score fell from 37/100 in 2024 to 19/100 in 2026 (average 31.5). Most Ziera styles are leather.
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 partners in 15 countries with 93 final assembly factories. 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 7
Show all 7 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); overall C-; Good On You 2/5
- Munro Footwear Group talks Ziera acquisition - Inside Retail · search the archive · MFG bought the Ziera and Kumfs brands in November 2019 after Ziera entered voluntary administration
Published by Ziera or its owner
- Munro Footwear Group FY25 Modern Slavery Statement · search the archive · 55 partners, 93 factories in 15 countries; main factories in Turkey, China, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Australia; 53% leather from LWG tanneries
- 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 · Unregistered Syrian migrant workers found at a Turkish factory; remediation in progress; no supplier list published
- 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
- Ziera - About Us · search the archive · Founded by two NZ podiatrists, family-run in NZ for over 70 years, now owned by Munro Footwear Group; no factory details
Company details
- Owned by
- Munro Footwear Group
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Ziera ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/ziera, 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 Ziera.