What ‘made-in-Canada’ means to five heritage footwear brands

Canadian footwear has long been shaped by the country’s climate, landscape and industrial heritage, from the logging camps and factories that helped establish its bootmaking tradition to the Indigenous footwear designs that are older than Canada itself.

Quebec, in particular, developed a robust shoemaking trade, with manufacturers producing rugged footwear for labourers and the military that continues to thrive today. Alongside these utilitarian innovations are Indigenous styles such as moccasins, made with techniques that have been carried forward across generations.

Together, these longstanding brands offer a picture of a Canadian footwear industry rooted in heritage, function and craftsmanship.

Viberg, Victoria, B.C.

Viberg traces its roots back nearly 100 years to Shellbrook, Sask., where Edwin and Gladys Viberg established their eponymous brand in 1931.

Specializing in hardy, robust leather work boots, Viberg was a pioneer with styles such as a five-inch ankle boot made for industrial workers. Today, 100 per cent of the company’s footwear is manufactured at its workshop in Victoria, B.C.

“Manufacturing in Canada is simply part of who we are and how the company has developed over generations,” said third-generation shoemaker Brett Viberg. “Our focus is on making the best footwear we can, and our workshop in Victoria is where we have the people, knowledge and experience to do that.”

The brand has admirers around the globe, but it is particularly beloved in Japan, a country with a strong appreciation for craftsmanship. Viberg expressed concern that Canadian craft and manufacturing is fading, suggesting that Canada look to countries such as Italy, France, England or Japan as examples of places that have supported and encouraged a heritage of domestic making.

Still, he said, “I think consumers generally have a positive perception of made-in-Canada and associate it with quality, integrity and supporting domestic industry.”

Wohlford & Company, Vancouver, B.C.

Dayton Boots was founded in East Vancouver in 1946, initially producing ski boots before shifting to hard-wearing logging and work boots. The brand’s first logging boots were named the Dayton 64, after the address of the Lumberman’s Social Club (64 East Hastings).

In 2023, Dayton Boots rebranded as Wohlford & Company after the shop’s original founder. According to current owner and self-described “steward,” Hall Risk, the brand’s best-known style is the Black Beauty, a Western-style ranch boot designed by co-founder Wayne Wohlford for his ranch hands. The shoe has since become a signature for the brand.

Wohlford makes its boots using Goodyear welt construction – a method that reinforces the shoe – as part of the 230-step process to make each pair. The process allows the boots to be resoled and maintained for decades.

For Risk, durability is “what happens when you build a boot for a job it was originally designed to do.”

Today, the brand operates three workshops in Vancouver, Winnipeg and León, Mexico. All custom and made-to-order boots are produced in Vancouver. Before a fire destroyed its factory there, in April, 2025, approximately 90 per cent of Wohlford’s stock was made in Canada. (As the company rebuilds, that figure is now closer to 60 per cent).

For Risk, Canadian manufacturing is inseparable from the people who make Wohlford’s boots.

“The people who make them are the reason the boots are what they are,” he said.

Bastien Industries, Wendake, Quebec

Founded in 1878 in Wendake, Quebec, home of the Wendat Nation, Bastien has been producing traditional moccasins and handcrafted leather goods for nearly 150 years. Today, the Indigenous-owned company’s flagship products remain its genuine leather and moose hide moccasins, which are manufactured at its Wendake factory.

For the brand, maintaining production in Canada is closely tied to preserving the skills and cultural legacy behind its wares. The brand sources a majority of its materials, such as moose hide and cowhide, from Canadian suppliers.

Producing in Canada allows the brand to preserve the specialized skills passed down through generations, said president Jason Picard-Binet, adding that it also provides employment within the community.

The cost of Canadian manufacturing remains a challenge, Picard-Binet said, particularly when competing with mass-produced footwear made overseas. But Bastien sees local production as essential.

Kamik, Montreal, Quebec

Founded in the late 1890s in Montreal, Kamik has been making footwear in the province for more than 125 years.

Today, the company specializes in what it calls “bad weather boots”: models built for winter and the outdoors. Kamik’s all-purpose Tundra style has been part of its catalog for decades, tracing its roots back to Canada’s logging camps. Its ultra-tough Work Horse – one of the brand’s most iconic designs – has a waterproof shell and slip-resistant sole, making it a go-to for demanding industries. Both are suitable for minus 40 C temperatures and made in Canada (other select styles and parts are manufactured abroad, including in the United States).

According to the brand, a commitment to local production allows the company to stay connected to its roots while supporting nearby communities.

Boulet Boots, Saint-Tite, Quebec

Founded by local businessman Georges-Alidor Boulet in 1933 in Saint-Tite, Que., Boulet Boots started out as a manufacturer of men’s dress shoes. During the Second World War, the company became a major supplier of footwear, including work boots, to the Canadian Armed Forces, producing up to 300 pairs per day with roughly 75 per cent destined for the feet of Canadian soldiers.

In the 1960s, Boulet’s sons, Robert, Roger and Reynald, branched out into Western-style boots, with the brand becoming the first Canadian company to specialize in manufacturing them. Western and cowboy boots remain at the core of the business today.

Now run by a fourth generation of the family, Boulet continues to operate at its original factory in Saint-Tite, where around 200 employees produce up to 200,000 pairs of boots annually.