Not only are Canadians enthusiastic about wearing shoes, there is also a growing domestic footwear manufacturing industry. In 2018, Canadian footwear manufacturers generated approximately 352 million U.S. dollars in revenue. As of December 2016, there were 120 footwear manufacturing establishments in Canada, with the largest share located in Ontario. That year also saw the highest growth in retail sales of shoe stores in Canada, at nearly 14 percent compared to sales in 2015.
Sales of men’s athletic footwear in Canada appear to follow a consistent pattern over the course of the year, with sales being lowest in the first quarter and rising over time, perhaps because the harsh Canadian winter is not conducive to working out. Women’s athletic footwear sales in Canada have followed an upward trend between 2014 and 2018, despite considerable fluctuations throughout the calendar year. While Canada is home to a rather large footwear manufacturing industry, there seems to be a solid preference for foreign running shoe brands such as Nike and Adidas, with about 29 million U.S. dollars of sports footwear being imported to Canada in 2017. A 2018 survey of Canadian consumers found that about 72 percent purchase new sports shoes once every few years, and when they do buy a new pair, about 40 percent will typically spend between 80 and 149 Canadian dollars .
