Browse The Shoe Stores Business Directory

Industry Information about Shoes
The U.S. women's footwear industry is run by large corporations that manufacture and design an extensive variety of shoes annually. The stable market of consumers enthusiastic for new styles and the short life span of a pair of shoes, keeps this industry providing lucrative profits for the nation's deep-rooted manufacturers. According to Footwear Industries of America – which is now called the American Apparel & Footwear Association; U.S. companies produced and shipped around 37 million pairs of women's shoes in the late 1990's.

Recent Trends in Women’s Shoes
The U.S. market for women's footwear has experience a noteworthy change in recent years. The transformation was driven by two interconnected trends. First, women have chosen comfort over style when choosing their footwear. Second, the explosion of "casual Fridays" and other dress-down events resulted in women wearing less formal shoes to work. Consequently, women's dress shoe sales dropped by more than 30 percent since 1991, while casual shoe sales have soared, and are the second most popular market in the U.S. after athletic shoes. Women’s shoes in Atlanta and New York City women’s shoes  contribute to this incline, because of industry leaders like Nine West Inc. in Georgia and Kenneth Cole Productions Inc. of New York.

Businesses in This Category
This category covers establishments mainly engaged in the production of women's footwear designed solely for street, dress, and work.