New Balance, Vans and Camper fined in Türkiye over use of pigskin in products
New Balance sneakers are displayed with discount tags at a retail store in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 9, 2025. (Adobe Stock Photo)
Türkiye’s Advertising Board, operating under the Trade Ministry, imposed fines Monday on globally recognized footwear brands New Balance, Vans and Camper for failing to inform consumers that their products contain pig skin.
According to a statement by the Advertising Board, it was determined that New Balance, Vans, and Camper did not disclose to Turkish consumers the use of pig skin in their shoe products. Investigations revealed that while this information was made available on international websites, it was omitted from the Turkish versions of their respective sites.
As a result, New Balance was fined ₺1.73 million ($45,501). Vans received a fine of ₺863,580, whereas Camper was ordered to cease its advertising activities in the country.
New Balance, Vans, and Camper models containing pigskin
Specific models identified by the Advertising Board include New Balance’s “W990GL6,” “M2002RST,” “U9060BLK,” and “U991LG2,” which were listed on its website without appropriate disclosures.
Similarly, Camper’s “Ground Michelin” model and Vans’ “Old Skool Suede Shoe” and “SK8-HI Suede Shoe” models lacked clear information regarding the use of pig skin.
Following the announcement of the penalties, most of the companies were observed to remove the sale of those products from their websites.
