Coop America (soon to be known as Green America) recently published a “Guide to Ending Sweatshops“. No industry is more challenged than the sneaker industry. For me sneakers are synonymous with sweatshop. All of the big name companies have moved their operations outside the U.S. to save on production costs. With low production costs comes very little oversight into the conditions in which the shoes are produced.
It’s all about profit, manufacturers are looking to maximize their profits with the cheapest labor possible. Along with cheap labor comes poor working conditions, extremely low wages plus a myriad of other violations like human trafficking, legal beatings and extremely low wages (6 1/2 cents an hour!), 16 hour shifts and the list goes on. It should come as no surprise that brands like Nike, Adidas/Reebok and Puma received failing marks according to ResponsibleShopper.org.
Coop America has compiled a grading system for sneaker manufacturers and the usual suspects are at the bottom of the list for all the wrong reasons. Instead of going for the usual, why not buy a pair of fair trade sneakers? For me, the great thing about selling fair trade gifts is that every item has a story, I can tell my customers about the artisans who make the crafts but they also know that they’ve made a difference in the lives of the artisans whose goods they purchased. That’s what I call socially conscious consumerism.
