NIKES DONE WE DID IT GUYS!!

[Chavo]

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Historically Nike's labor record is atrocious. They were one of the pioneers of off shore slave labor. Public pressure has resulted in them changing their ways, but its not too off base to associate that company with slavery or sketchy labor.

[close]

I'm well aware of their past, as I've said before the "current attitude" regarding Nike. Nike CURRENTLY has better ethics than core skate brands. I don't like it, but it is what it is. And of course, things change so what's your point here?

Lakai moved its manufacturing to South Korea when Crailtap regained control of the company from Podium (I'm not sure what is currently happening since acquiring new "investors"). At some point, most skate shoes were manufactured in South Korea where working conditions (along with Japan and Taiwan) exceed those of mainland China and other parts of Southeast Asia and much of the world. Outside of shoes, many woodshops and hardgoods manufacturers such as Ermico still operate in the United States. I'm sure there are still sweatshop conditions in the U.S., but they are still better than the best factories in China.

[essal]

Chavo, you've obviously haven't ever seen the insides of the MAS (http://www.masholdings.com/) factories in China or a shitty sweatshop in LA for whatever small-ish generic US based brand to make that statement. Hell, I've seen worse factories in Vancouver than what I saw in Vietnam.
These major manufacturing companies such as MAS have fucking nice as hell factories with good terms for their workers. They do insane volumes and employ a fuckton of people (MAS is at 60-80k split between Sri Lanka and China last I heard anything) and value the quality their trained workers put out, so they treat them well and try to keep them for their entire career. A "shitty sweatshop" I was visiting in Vietnam paid their workers double of minimum wage, and had a 6 month PAID maternity leave (on top of the .Gov 6 months). You won't find shit like that in the US for sure.

Smaller manufactures are where you need to be weary about the working conditions, that's where you see fucking 10 year old children with CP hand sewing wedding dresses for some skank who bought one off Alibaba.

[Maggie]

so i should keep my GT Blazers in the box?

[Main]

http://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/the-myth-of-the-ethical-shopper/