Mizuno

How ethical and sustainable is Mizuno? 

Mizuno is a trainer and sports brand that has been researched and ranked by The Good Shopping Guide in our Shoes & Trainers: Ethical Comparison Ratings Table. Unfortunately, this brand has not yet reached our Ethical Benchmark, so it does not yet qualify to be considered an excellent ethical brand, and it would not yet be eligible for becoming Ethically Accredited with The Good Shopping Guide.

For more information about Ethical Shoes and Trainers, read our comprehensive guide to the sector and its ethical issues.

About Mizuno

Rihachi Mizuno started Mizuno Corporation, also known as Mizuno Kabushiki-gaisha, in Osaka, Japan, in 1906. The company manufactures sportswear and equipment. The name of the business was changed to Mizuno Co., Ltd. in 1941, and it has remained that way ever since. Mizuno produced military equipment for Japan’s war effort during World War II.

Is Mizuno environmentally-conscious? (Environmental Reporting and major shoe brands)

Like some other sports shoe brands, Mizuno’s Environmental Report leaves a lot to be desired. Instead of releasing a unified report, Mizuno has a number of different environmental-related sections on its website. The other pages only present facts and no targets, but one of the pages has a target for becoming Carbon- Neutral by 2050. Furthermore, achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2050 is not particularly ambitious since many businesses are striving for Net Zero (which is less destructive than Carbon Neutrality) by 2030. A bottom score has been given to Mizuno based on this.

Additionally, for our Sustainable Materials Ethical Ratings, Mizuno also has been given a poor score, as none of its shoes is made with sustainable materials.

Mizuno and Animal Welfare

While Mizuno has an Animal-derived Materials Policy which sets standards for the humane treatment of animals used for materials in its supply chain. For this, Mizuno has earned a top rating in the Animal Welfare category.

Mizuno and Human Rights

Though Mizuno has earned a good Ethical Rating for its Code of Conduct, there are still some criticisms of this brand which have earned it a middle rating for our Human Rights ethical criteria.

Two factories providing the sportswear company Mizuno with products have been recently criticised for the way they’ve handled union disputes. Nearly 200 unionised employees were let go from the Very Impressive Prospects (VIP) 1 factory at the end of June 2020, after orders from businesses ceased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the factory closed. However, according to employees, non-unionized employees were transferred to other nearby factories. Seven other union members, including the union president, were let go from the VIP 2 factory when the union insisted that COVID-19 safety measures be implemented there. According to reports, assailants employed at the plant also stabbed the union president of VIP 2. All terminated unionised employees at VIP 1 and 2 must be immediately reinstated, according to labour groups calling on brands that source from the facility.

Mizuno is also not a member of the Ethical Trading Initiative, which encourages retailers to improve trading standards and protect the rights of workers.

How Mizuno could improve its Ethical Ratings

Mizuno should improve its Environmental Report and address the Human Rights criticisms leveraged against it if its Ethical Rating is to increase. Mizuno could see its ranking rise in our Shoes & Trainers: Ethical Comparison Ratings Table if these ethical criteria improve. Mizuno could also apply for Ethical Accreditation from The Good Shopping Guide, which would open it to even further analysis and in-depth research.

If your shoes and trainers brand values ethics and sustainability, why not check out The Good Shopping Guide‘s Ethical Accreditation? Increase customer and investor confidence and stand out from the greenwash.