A Skechers shoe supplier was added to the U.S. government's Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act blacklist in 2024 for facilitating the transfer of Uyghur workers from Xinjiang, and Skechers publicly stated the blacklisting would have no "material impact" on its business. Despite the forced labor findings, Skechers opened a new retail store in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, in September 2024.

Why are people boycotting Skechers?

Forced labor ties, human rights indifference, and corporate governance failures are the main concerns. The SEC fined Skechers $1.25 million in 2024 for concealing payments to executives' family members and failing to disclose that two executives owed the company over $120,000 in unreimbursed personal expenses. Human rights advocates called Skechers' Xinjiang store opening a shocking statement of indifference.

What are the best ethical alternatives to Skechers?

Veja is a French sneaker brand using organic cotton and fair trade supply chains with full transparency. Allbirds is a B Corp certified brand making sustainable shoes from natural materials. Local independent shoe stores keep money in your community and avoid the forced labor concerns tied to Skechers's supply chain.

Skechers

Flagged · Avoid

Skechers (sometimes misspelled Sketchers) is a California-based footwear and apparel company selling casual and athletic shoes in over 170 countries.

Last updated June 10, 2026

Reasons to avoid

Issues span:Human RightsConsumer

A Skechers shoe supplier, Dongguan Oasis Shoes, was added to the U.S. government's Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act blacklist in 2024 for facilitating the transfer of Uyghur workers from Xinjiang. Rather than cutting ties, Skechers publicly stated the blacklisting would have no "material impact" on its business.supplychaindive.com2024-06-25
Despite the forced labor blacklisting of its supplier, Skechers opened a new retail store in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, in September 2024. Human rights advocates called the move "a shocking statement that it does not care about human rights," noting that Skechers did not respond to multiple press inquiries.voanews.com2024-10-08
The SEC fined Skechers $1.25 million in 2024 for concealing payments to executives' family members from 2019 to 2022. Skechers failed to disclose that relatives of its executives were on the payroll and that two executives owed the company over $120,000 in unreimbursed personal expenses.sec.gov2024-03-07

Ethical alternatives

Footwear

Allbirds

Sustainable shoes made from natural materials like merino wool and eucalyptus.

♻️ Sustainable✅ B-Corp

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Veja

French sneaker brand using organic cotton, wild rubber, and fair trade supply chains.

🤝 Fair Trade♻️ Sustainable🌿 Organic

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Local Shoe Stores

Find an independent shoe store near you.

📍 Local Business

Common Questions

Is Skechers ethical?: A Skechers shoe supplier was added to the U.S. government's Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act blacklist in 2024 for facilitating the transfer of Uyghur workers from Xinjiang, and Skechers publicly stated the blacklisting would have no "material impact" on its business. Despite the forced labor findings, Skechers opened a new retail store in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, in September 2024.
Why are people boycotting Skechers?: Forced labor ties, human rights indifference, and corporate governance failures are the main concerns. The SEC fined Skechers $1.25 million in 2024 for concealing payments to executives' family members and failing to disclose that two executives owed the company over $120,000 in unreimbursed personal expenses. Human rights advocates called Skechers' Xinjiang store opening a shocking statement of indifference.
What are the best ethical alternatives to Skechers?: Veja is a French sneaker brand using organic cotton and fair trade supply chains with full transparency. Allbirds is a B Corp certified brand making sustainable shoes from natural materials. Local independent shoe stores keep money in your community and avoid the forced labor concerns tied to Skechers's supply chain.