All a-boot tradition: A look at finance ministers budget shoes through the years – National [Video]

On Monday, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland took part in a long-standing Canadian tradition and donned a new pair of shoes on the eve of the federal budget.

The history of the tradition is somewhat murky, though research has traced the quirky footwear fixation as far back as 1955.

While purely ceremonial, the selection of the finance minister’s shoes can be a hint into what the budget may hold.

In 2015, then-Conservative finance minister Joe Oliver chose a pair of New Balance runners as a nod to his party’s pledge to balance the budget, while Freeland’s most recent pair was sourced from a Canadian women-led small business.

Here’s a look at Canada’s fiscal footwear through the ages.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty tries on a pair of shoes with Andrew Violi, president of Mello Walk Shoes, at a pre-budget press event in Toronto on Friday, Feb. 7, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Aaron Vincent Elkaim

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty puts on …