We Have to Do Better
Two stories out of Indonesia this week that should make anyone who works in footwear—or buys footwear—deeply uncomfortable
This is the first in a three-part series I'm calling "The Courage Gap" - exploring what happens when brands go quiet at the moments that matter most.
As a sneakerhead and 20+ year footwear industry professional, I hold Nike and Jordan Brand to the highest standard. I’m aware how unfair that seems sometimes. It’s like that saying about never meeting your heroes... you expect nothing but the best from them, and anything less feels like betrayal.
I know people take it personally when they first discover my writing. I get it. I’ve been there. I admire how dedicated you are to your craft, your teammates, and the company that employs you. But the harsh reality is this: the company doesn’t care about you the way you care about it. For most of us, the brand we represent today will be different in a few years, and it’ll be around long after we’ve passed through our working years.
A lot of you reading this have been on my teams over the years. I’ve never shied away from telling you that the only thing that truly matters at work is the people you show up with day in and day out. When the brand takes a wrong turn, when a leader does something leaders shouldn’t do, or worst case, when you become one of the people laid off... if you’ve treated the people around you with empathy and respect, when shit hits the fan, you’ll be able to talk through it with them. That’s what lasts.
With that in mind, I’m going to be writing about some things that will feel uncomfortable over the next few newsletters. It isn’t intended to offend anyone. It’s intended to make you think. And if I do my job as a writer, it should make you want to talk about it with your people. Or at least encourage you to.
I’m going to keep this one short because your time is better spent reading the two stories below in detail…
There are two stories out of Indonesia this week that should make anyone who works in footwear—or buys footwear—deeply uncomfortable.
The first: Cicih Sukaesih, a key voice of the 1990s labor movement who fought against abusive conditions in Nike’s Indonesian factories, now relies on donations from abroad to survive. The woman who stood up for workers’ rights three decades ago... forgotten, struggling, left behind by the very system she tried to reform.
The second: Nike claims its Indonesian factory workers earn nearly double the minimum wage. Workers on the ground say that’s not true. The gap between corporate statements and lived reality remains as wide as it was 30 years ago.
Both pieces are reported by Matthew Kish at The Oregonian, with Rob Davis of ProPublica contributed reporting, and freelance journalist Adi Renaldi contributed reporting and translation.
It takes courage to report these stories... and even more courage for the workers who spoke up, knowing the risks of retaliation.
It’s absurd to even type that… retaliation for telling the truth, but I’ll share some odd examples of what that can look like in future newsletters I’ll just say that people can be overly… sensitive.
I don’t have all the answers here... but I know we have to do better.
Consumers can’t carry this alone. The world is chaotic. Misinformation is everywhere. People are struggling to afford non-essentials like sneakers in the first place. Expecting individual shoppers to research every supply chain partner of every brand they buy from? That’s not realistic. That’s passing responsibility downward when it needs to go up.
Brands have to be accountable. Not performatively. Not through press releases that say the right things while factories operate under conditions that haven’t fundamentally changed since the ‘90s. Actually accountable... transparent about wages, conditions, and the gap between what they claim and what workers experience.
I’ve worked in this industry for a long time. I’ve been inside these companies. I’ve seen the financial models, the margin pressures, the quarterly earnings calls that prioritize profit over everything else. I understand the complexity.
But complexity isn’t an excuse for cruelty. “We didn’t know” stopped being acceptable decades ago.
And here’s what makes this even harder: people who work at these brands often can’t speak up, even when they don’t agree with what’s happening. Jobs in this industry are competitive. Speaking out can mean losing your livelihood. So workers stay quiet, defend policies they don’t believe in, because they have bills to pay and families to support.
That’s why the workers in Indonesia who spoke to Matthew Kish deserve recognition. That’s why Cicih Sukaesih’s story matters. These are people who risked something to tell the truth.
If you work for a footwear brand... push for transparency. Ask the uncomfortable questions. Demand better from your supply chain partners. Don’t accept “industry standard” as good enough when the standard is exploitation. I know it’s not easy. I know there are real professional risks. But change doesn’t happen without people on the inside pushing for it.
If you’re a consumer who cares about this... I’m not going to tell you to boycott. That rarely works, and it often just punishes retail workers and factory workers further down the chain. But do pay attention. Brands respond to public pressure when it’s sustained and loud enough.
Cicih Sukaesih fought for basic dignity in factories 30 years ago. The fact that she’s now struggling to survive while the industry she tried to reform is worth billions... that tells you everything about how little has actually changed.
We have to do better. Not someday. Now.
If you have thoughts on what “better” actually looks like in practice, I want to hear them. Because this industry I love... it’s built on people. And those people deserve more than what they’re getting.
I’m Nick Engvall, and I’ve been writing about sneakers and culture for decades, from building Eastbay’s first blog to leading the very first Complex Sneakers team to being employee #9 at StockX. I run Sneaker History (website and podcast) and write The Sneaker Newsletter... sneaker lore, business breakdowns, and the stories that connect what we wear to who we are. These stories matter because the people behind the products matter. If you think I’m wrong, or if you have solutions I’m missing, let me know.
First off, I know this is a super complex issue. Especially for large brands like Nike. But, as a super small independent footwear brand, I couldn’t agree more. I understand that for most corporations, they have to produce theirs in China, the Middle East, or numerous Asian areas so they can make crazy high margins due to insane amounts of employees, never-ending release of countless products they put out, etc. But if New Balance can do it, why can’t Nike or other brands make factories here?? I know New Balance only makes a small fraction domestically, But at least they make a dent in their profits ethically.
With that being said, I know I’m just a tiny brand who does a minuscule amount of footwear production. Completely on me for not asking upfront, But it wasn’t until after paying my down payment for production that I was shown the factory audits. They weren’t awful, but they weren’t great to say the least. I quickly decided after my first run that I would not be making my footwear in China anymore. There are numerous well-known independent footwear brands, making theirs at the same factory that are charging 500-700% markup. I know everyone has to make ends meet somehow, but that just doesn’t sit right with me. I’m not throwing shade at everyone for making in the Middle East/india/china. I also know that there are factories that have strict audits and practice ethical labor, and pay relatively well, but it is definitely hard to find those factories.
I’m not sure there is an end all solution for this. But When it comes to the giants in the game, I do think owning your own factories domestically like new balance to at least produce a small amount here would be a giant step.