Men Spend Almost as Much Money as Women Do on Shoes

Fashionable footwear is something men are getting more interested in, with total shoe sales last year climbing well into the billions.

Men in the U.S. spent $26.2 billion on footwear in 2016, an increase of $2.4 billion since 2014, while women spent around $30 billion, the Boston Globe reported.

"Women's business is more mature and slowing down, and brands are looking to men now," Beth Goldstein, footwear analyst for market research firm NPD Group Inc., told the Globe. "For men, things like shoes are no longer secondary."

There are many reasons for a new interest in footwear for men.

The Globe points to a relaxed workplace dress code, interest in fashion and a focus on "athleisure" in recent years.

In fact, the trend doesn't stop at just NPD's analysis.

Euromonitor International said men's shoe sales grew 27% between 2011 and 2016, according to the Globe. During that same time period, women's shoe sales grew 21%.