SJSU Bookstore; Anti-Sweatshop

Athletic shoes serve a purpose of giving people, who are involved in athletics, a comfortable and durable piece of equipment. They aid people with their health endeavors to a healthier lifestyle, and for some people they are worn just for comfort. They come in all styles, colors, and own purpose. So there is no denying that athletic shoes are a great purchase. But the real problem is the process on how they are made.

Many companies outsource to developing countries to get a cheaper prices on labor. This saves companies billions of dollars annually. However, this is at the expense of other people. The countries that the athletic shoes companies outsource to, do not hold the same laws or follow the same standards as the United States. This results in horrible work conditions at factories where these athletic shoes are being made. Workers are given ridiculous wages and extremely long hours, while working in environmentally bad conditions Athletic shoes need to stop being developed in sweatshops, or there needs to be better regulations and oversight of these factories to ensure working conditions are within humane standards.

Worker conditions in countries we receive the majority of our athletic shoes from are an issue. Often the workers are treated horribly; they are given horrible wages, and horrible hours. However, there are several things that we can do here from home to try to influence change in worker conditions.