Puma

How ethical is Puma?

Puma is an Activewear brand owned by Puma S.E. which has a below-benchmark score on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Activewear Ratings Table.

Although Puma has not yet met our ethical benchmark, we hope to see the brand make progress in the future.

We would have extra confidence in Puma if it submitted itself to apply for Ethical Accreditation, whereby The Good Shopping Guide would make further detailed assessment and recommendations for ethical improvement.

Find out more about the ethical issues facing the Activewear sector and see how other brands score in our Ethical Activewear Ratings Table.

What does Puma do?

Puma is an Activewear brand which was originally founded as a shoe factory by the Dassler brothers in Germany in 1919. The brand became well known for its running spikes which were worn by Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympics. It has used its current Puma logo since 1968.

In which areas does Puma perform poorly?

Despite Puma’s progress, there is still room for improvement. Puma was marked down under our criteria for Animal Welfare as despite its ban on fur, exotic animal skins, and animal testing, it does still use k-leather (kangaroo leather) in some of its shoes.

There have been a number of Human Rights criticisms levelled at Puma in the past (see below) including the ongoing issue of its association with Israeli settlements in Palestine. There is ongoing pressure for Puma to end its sponsorship of the Israel Football Association and several organisations are calling for a boycott on Puma’s products until this happens.

Find out more about how we rate by exploring our ethical criteria.

Past Criticisms of Puma’s record

There have been several criticisms of Puma’s Human Rights record. These include putting workers in Cambodia at risk of Covid-19 after insisting that factories remained open during the pandemic, as well as the poor working conditions and wages of its factory workers in China. Puma has previously promised to revise its supply chain but there is no evidence that this has been done.

In which areas does Puma score well for its ethics?

Puma scores well for its Environmental Report as its most recent Sustainability Report includes clear targets for renewable energy, waste and water usage, and sustainable materials. It also has a robust Code of Conduct which follows international conventions therefore scores high for this criterion.

We found no public record criticisms of Puma relating to Nuclear or Fossil Fuels, so it scores well for these criteria.

How can Puma improve its ethical rating?

The below-benchmark score that Puma is awarded with on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Activewear Ratings Table is the result of an evaluation of multiple ethical criteria.

To reach our minimum ethical benchmark and qualify for Ethical Accreditation, Puma has some issues to resolve, including its poor record for Human Rights and use of kangaroo leather. If it applies for Ethical Accreditation, The Good Shopping Guide will be able to give Puma some guidance to improve on these areas.

Were you aware that your brand could benefit from Ethical Accreditation? Brands accredited by The Good Shopping Guide can display our ethical mark, showcasing to consumers that it is an ethical and sustainable brand.

If you’re interested in learning more about how to attain Ethical Accreditation, please contact us or complete a Free Initial Assessment form.