Shoes

Saying that you monitor your supply chain to ensure that labor and environmental standards are followed looks great on a CSR report, but it's how a company goes about this monitoring that really tells the story.

No company wants to be known for employing children in sweatshops or coating their products in lead paint, but intricate supply chains filled with contractors and subcontractors have helped to insulate global corporations from the responsibility of ensuring that their products are safe and ethical.

For many, the phrase "made in Italy" is enough to instantly alleviate any concerns that a garment they are purchasing was put together in a sweatshop. After all, Italian made designer clothing has always commanded top dollar, and there's no reason for a company that sells $800 handbags to cheat its workers out of a living wage is there? If you still operate under this impression, the UK's Daily Mirror has news for you.

Less than a month after it was revealed that some of its clothing was made by children in India, Gap has announced its plan to prevent such embarrassments from occurring in the future. Unless these measures are the just the beginning of a long battle the company is planning to wage against child labor, it would appear that Gap is about to get off scott-free from one of biggest child labor scandals in years.

Nike unveils a new shoe designed especially for the unique contours of the American Indian foot and sold exclusively through its Native American business program. Feathers and sunrises included.