Not only are Canadians enthusiastic about wearing shoes, there is also a growing domestic footwear manufacturing industry. As of December 2020, there were 59 footwear manufacturing establishments in Canada, with the largest share located in Ontario and Quebec. However, that year also saw a sharp decline in retail sales of shoe stores in Canada, mainly due to lockdown measures imposed in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
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 2019, despite considerable fluctuations throughout the calendar year. However, both men's and women's athletic footwear shoes have witnessed a sharp decline in the first quarter of 2020.
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 24.5 million U.S. dollars of sports footwear being imported to Canada in 2020. A recent survey of Canadian consumers found that about 56 percent purchase new sports shoes once every few years, and when they do buy a new pair, about 52 percent will typically spend between 80 and 149 Canadian dollars .
