Corporate Responsibility

La Sportiva possesses a strong passion for the mountains and the environment, and it is this consciousness that forces us to strive to reduce negative environmental impacts of production, while still creating the best performing outdoor products on the market.  We are always critically assessing our existing processes and searching for methods that can reduce environmental impact, improve working conditions, and the safety of our employees. From switching to video conferencing to reduce air travel, using recycled materials in our shoes, or becoming a zero waste facility; there is always something more we can do.

La Sportiva owns and operates its own state-of-the-art factory in Italy. This small, 250-person, factory is located in Ziano di Fiemme, a small mountain village in the heart of the Italian Dolomites. The tradition and heritage of handmade footwear lives on today in this magical alpine valley existing in the shadows of jagged limestone peaks and glaciated valleys where alpine masters such as Bonatti and Messner plied their craft.

Our goal at La Sportiva is to reduce the impact of running our business while increasing the positive impact we have on people, communities, and the environment. We are dedicated to our customers, and part of that dedication is doing everything we feasibly can to improve the environment for future generations.

 

La Sportiva Italian Factory

Fair Labor and Code of Conduct

In order to make an impact and promote socially acceptable production conditions, Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) participants have adopted this Fair Labor Code of Conduct. To adopt the code and become a participant, a company shall declare its support for the OIA Fair Labor Code of Conduct and seek to conform to the code and its standards. The Code of Conduct outlines standards to ensure that working conditions in the outdoor industry supply chain are safe, that workers are treated with respect and dignity, and that manufacturing processes are environmentally responsible. You can download our Code of Ethics here.

We have three levels of monitoring. We analyze the risk factors of a particular manufacturing partner and determine which type of compliance evaluation to utilize.

  • Basic Monitoring (SE) - the audit can be completed by the manufacturing partner, providing details of their operation as they pertain to the FLCC. We often use this monitoring process with trusted partners that can document completion independent third party auditing with other customers.
  • In-depth (ISE) - this is a series of steps that our QA staff can follow to actively verify compliance with the FLCC. The audit covers all health and safety aspects of the Code, but does not involve a review of wage and hourly documentation or worker interviews.
  • Full Audit (3P) - A full audit of all elements of the FLCC carried out by an independent third party audit firm. The 3P audit includes all elements of the ISE audit, as well as review of wage and hour documentation and worker interviews.

Country of Origin

La Sportiva brand products sold in North America are manufactured in six factories in three countries. Our factories in Italy manufacture about 60% of our products. Factories in China and Vietnam manufacture 28% and 12%, respectively.

The country of origin of all our products is clearly marked on the box and on the product. We do not engage in the deceptive practice of making the components of our shoes in one place and shipping these to another location for assembly. This misleading process can be employed to make the components (uppers, midsoles, outsoles) in a country where labor costs are low, and to then ship these components to a another country for assembly. This process allows the manufacturer to label their products "Made in the U.S.A.", for example, without actually making any of the components in the U.S.A. While completely legal, this practice is misleading.

At La Sportiva we pledge transparency in reporting country of origin. When we write "Made in" we mean manufactured and assembled in. 

Quality Management

The ISO 9001 and ISO 14000 families are among ISO's most widely known standards ever. ISO 9001 and ISO 14000 standards are implemented by some 887,770 organizations in 161 countries. ISO 9001 has become an international reference for quality management requirements in business-to-business dealings, and ISO 14000 is well on the way to achieving as much, if not more, in enabling organizations to meet their environmental challenges.

The ISO 9001 family is primarily concerned with "quality management". This means what the organization does to fulfill:

  • The customer's quality requirements, and
  • Applicable regulatory requirements, while aiming to
  • Enhance customer satisfaction, and
  • Achieve continual improvement of its performance in pursuit of these objectives.

The ISO 14000 family is primarily concerned with "environmental management". This means what the organization does to:

  • Minimize harmful effects on the environment caused by its activities, and to
  • Achieve continual improvement of its environmental performance.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

There’s never a better time to get involved in your community and become a part of the greater good. We work alongside your fellow climbers, skiers, hikers, and runners to spread responsible recreation.

Roots

La Sportiva is located in Ziano di Fiemme, Italy at the base of the Dolomite Mountains. From the beginning our mission was to create a durable, rugged shoe for the local farmers and mountaineering guides. As La Sportiva grew into a global business we expanded our product offering to include new categories in technical footwear, though alpinism is still the heart of this mountain based family run business. Our love of wild and beautiful places is what drives us to make the best technical footwear for mountain-based sports.

Adopt a Road

La Sportiva North America is based in Boulder, CO. The entire staff cleans and cares for a two-mile section of road on Flagstaff Mountain just west of Boulder. This section of road is directly adjacent to the historical bouldering area of Flagstaff Mountain. Bouldering legends such as Gill, Holloway, Ament, Kor, and Culp all honed their skills at this area just five minutes from downtown Boulder.

Bike to Work Day

Every year La Sportiva, NA has 100% participation for Bike to Work Day held in June. The company was recognized by the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) for their efforts in reducing impact. In addition each employee at La Sportiva received an Eco Pass to use for local buses. This event serves as a reminder that little efforts can be recognized and have an impact on a daily basis.

Soles4Souls

Soles4Souls is a Nashville-based charity that collects shoes from the warehouses of footwear companies and the closets of people like you. The charity distributes these shoes to people in need, regardless of race, religion, class, or any other criteria. Since 2005, Soles4Souls has given away over 13 million pairs of new and gently worn shoes (currently donating one pair every 7 seconds.) These shoes have been distributed to people in over 125 countries, including Kenya, Thailand, Nepal and the United States.

La Sportiva began a partnership with Soles4Souls in 2005 (shortly after the Asian Tsunami that devastated Indonesia, Sri Lanka, South India, Thailand and many other countries on the eastern coast of Africa). Since then, La Sportiva has donated several thousand pairs of footwear to Soles4Souls who in turn has distributed them in areas of natural disaster as well as to people in need across the globe.  We continue to send regular donations of footwear to Sole4Souls and encourage you to also!

 

PARTNERSHIPS

La Sportiva places a high value on our business relationships and partnerships that give an overall benefit to the outdoor industry. By working with our partners we will create a committed team that can make a positive difference on the environment and in communities. Our goal is to create a harmonious relationship between our business, our business partners and the environment in order to provide an inviting industry for outdoor enthusiasts ranging from the most experienced to beginners.

CORPORATE PARTNERS:

Climbing Partners:

Hiking Partners:

Ski Partners:

Guide Partnerships:

La Sportiva N.A. Inc. has partnered with a handful of premier guide services who offer the quality instruction and guided climbing and ski trips. Our preferred La Sportiva guide partners exclusively use La Sportiva footwear for all of their services. In addition to our partners, we also have an extensive list of guide services we recommend for other custom guided trips and climbing or skiing instruction.

Preferred La Sportiva Guide Partners:

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Corporate Responsibility