Chrystia Freeland picks her 2024 budget shoes: What to know about the finance minister tradition, plus what shoes she bought

Ahead of tabling Canada's 2024 federal budget on Tuesday, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is maintaining the decades-old "new shoe tradition" by picking out a pair of pumps from Canadian footwear brand Maguire.

In her Ottawa office on Monday, the minister hosted the owners of the brand, sisters Myriam and Romy Belzile-Maguire, and tried on several pairs of heels. For the big budget announcement, she opted for the Alegre Black Pump that came with a price tag of $230. The shoes are made from 100 per cent leather in Campo Bom, Brazil.

If you're wondering why the minister buying a pair of shoes is newsworthy, it's worth noting the history behind the action: For years, finance ministers have taken part in a mysterious tradition involving the purchase of a new pair of shoes before each year's federal budget announcement.

But where does the tradition come from? And what exactly does it mean for modern Canadians? Read on to find out.

What is Canada's budget shoe tradition?

Typically, the day before a federal budget announcement, the finance minister is joined by journalists and photographers on a shopping expedition leading up to their budget speech. In Freeland's case this year, she invited a Canadian-owned brand to come to her office for a private shopping session.

While the "new shoe tradition" has been taking place since the 1950s, it's unclear exactly why it started. Some suggest that the practice was borrowed from the United Kingdom, but one of the earliest mentions of the "tradition" was found in a March 1960 newspaper article about then-Finance Minister Donald Fleming.

What do the shoes represent?

Although the event can be marked by the purchase of just about any pair of shoes, ministers usually opt for a pair that falls in line with the year's budgetary concerns. New shoes might suggest plenty of funds for the year ahead, while Canadian-made shoes could suggest an investment in Canadian business.

Last year, Freeland visited a Simons store for a new pair of heels and reportedly described the (on sale) $100 black pumps as "comfortable, practical [and] on sale" — in line with her comments surrounding the 2023 budget. In 2022, Freeland opted for a pair of $138 block heel pumps from Montreal-based brand L'Intervalle.

As for this year's Maguire shoes, the CTV reported: "Choosing the brand owned by a pair of entrepreneurs from Canada's millennial cohort is likely another way the government is emphasizing the goal of the budget, which is to help ease the pressures on younger generations."

Freeland teased the budget, tweeting: "From building more homes faster, to making life more affordable, to creating more good jobs — I look forward to sharing our plan to unlock pathways to the middle class for the next generation."

What are Canadians saying

Given that the budget shoe tradition goes hand in hand with media coverage, there has been plenty of chatter online surrounding this year's purchase. Some appreciated that Freeland was upkeeping the tradition — and supporting a Canadian woman-owned business while doing it.

Many, on the other hand, expressed disappointment in seeing the minister post about spending hundreds of dollars on new shoes, when many Canadians are struggling financially.

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