Reebok

How ethical is Reebok?

Reebok is an Activewear brand owned by Authentic Brand Group LLC / BlackRock Inc. which has a below-benchmark score on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Activewear Ratings Table.

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

We would have extra confidence in Reebok 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 Reebok do?

Reebok is an American sports footwear and Activewear brand that was founded in 1958 in Bolton, England as a companion company to J.W. Foster and Sons. It was bought by German company Adidas in 2005 and then by the US based Authentic Brands Group in 2021. Its global HQ is now based in Boston, Massachusetts.

In which areas does Reebok perform poorly?

Despite Reebok’s progress, there is still room for improvement. Nike was marked down under our criteria for Organic as it does not have any certification. It also scored poorly for Animal Welfare as its parent company BlackRock is listed by Cruelty Free Investing as being a company that invests in businesses involved in the exploitation of animals.

Reebok’s parent company Authentic Brands has a very brief Environment & Sustainability page, but this lacks depth and there is nothing specific to Reebok, so it receives a low score for Environmental Report. We also found no Code of Conduct for Reebok so it is given a poor score for this criterion also.

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

Past Criticisms of Reebok’s record

Reebok has recently been criticised after reports of employee misconduct relating to allegations of discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace. It has also been implicated as complicit in illegal deforestation and land grabbing, as well as the production and export of conflict commodities. Reebok’s parent company Authentic Brands Group has also been criticised for the use of forced labour in its supply chain. Therefore Reebok is given a bottom score for Human Rights.

In which areas does Reebok score well for its ethics?

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

How can Reebok improve its ethical rating?

The below-benchmark score that Reebok 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, Reebok has some issues to resolve, including its lack of a Code of Conduct or Environmental Report, Animal Welfare and Human Rights issues. If it applies for Ethical Accreditation, The Good Shopping Guide will be able to give Reebok 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.