Sorel

Feb 03, 2023

Sorel is an American footwear retailer founded in 1962 in Portland, Oregon, to make high-end, designer shoes. The multinational retail company creates quality footwear for men, women, and children.

Sorel specializes in creating unexpected footwear that pushes the boundaries of function-first fashion. The Columbia Sportswear Company owns Sorel and many other brands, such as prAna and Mountain Hardwear.

Columbia operates 129 outlet-retail stores in the United States, 13 branded retail stores, and four brand-specific e-commerce websites. It divides its operations into four geographic segments: the United States, Latin America, and Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Canada.

Sorel combines its approach to product creation with its commitment to its consumers, communities, and the environment. It aims to protect the outdoors with partnerships for a sustainable planet, environmental impact management, and sustainable manufacturing practices.

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Sustainability Rating: 4/10

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Category: Shoes

For: Women, men, children

Type: Boots, sneakers, flats, sandals

Style: Casual

Quality: Medium

Prices: $$

Sizes: 5-12 (US), 2-9 (UK), 35-42 (EU)

Fabrics: Cotton, polyester, nylon, acrylic, leather, wool, polyurethane, rubber

100% Organic: No

100% Vegan: No

Ethical & Fair: No

Recycling: Yes

Producing countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Guatemala, Italy, Germany, Israel, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Philippines, Peru, Pakistan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Thailand, Taiwan, United States, Vietnam

Certifications: LWG

Sustainability Practices

Sorel takes wide-ranging measures to protect biodiversity, reduce its consumption of water, energy, and other resources, avoid waste, and combat climate change.

It wants to be better and more efficient by looking at every aspect of its value chain to ensure the healthy functioning of our planet. However, the majority of its business remains detrimental to the environment.

Sorel doesn't use any organic materials, such as organic cotton, but uses some recycled materials, such as recycled polyester and regenerated nylon.

Most of the fabrics it uses are either natural without relevant certifications, such as regular cotton, or synthetic petroleum-based fibers such as polyester, nylon, acrylic, and more.

Sorel publishes a list of all its manufacturers and many of its processing facilities on its corporate website. It has committed to high standards for furthering social responsibility and integrity across its supply chain.

Sorel manufactures its shoes in many East Asian countries, where human rights and labor law violations happen every day.

The American footwear retailer doesn't show any labor certification standard that would ensure good working conditions, decent living wages, health, safety, and other crucial rights for workers in its supply chain.

Sorel has a code of conduct that applies to all its suppliers and subcontractors based on the regulations set by the International Labor Organization (ILO).

Sorel assesses compliance with its Code of Conduct by informal visits or third-party audits with or without notice. It aims to advance ethical worker treatment, safe working conditions, and transparency through its social responsibility program.

Sorel doesn't use exotic animal skin, hair, fur, or angora. But it uses leather and wool to manufacture many products.

These animal-derived materials are cruel and unethical. They also harm the environment by producing greenhouse gases and waste. More sustainable alternatives exist.

Sustainability Goals

Sorel has committed to a 30% reduction in Scope 3 manufacturing emissions by 2030 as compared to a 2019 baseline. It focuses on its climate target and water usage to further climate management.