footwear

noun

foot·​wear ˈfu̇t-ˌwer How to pronounce footwear (audio)
: wearing apparel (such as shoes or boots) for the feet

Examples of footwear in a Sentence

sneakers, loafers, and other casual footwear
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In a similar realm of slim everyday footwear, Kravitz is also a fan of refined loafer styles. — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 25 Aug. 2026 Cramer said Foot Locker’s weakness reflects a broader slowdown across athletic footwear and apparel. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026 The clip then shows Bader walking down the sidewalk in the shoes as onlookers can’t help but notice the bizarre footwear. — Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026 Performance footwear brands, especially the giants, once kept all their components in house. — Tim Newcomb, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for footwear

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of footwear was in 1850

Rhymes for footwear

See All Rhymes for footwear

Browse Nearby Words

footway
footwear
footwell
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Footwear.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/footwear. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

footwear

noun
foot·​wear -ˌwa(ə)r How to pronounce footwear (audio)
-ˌwe(ə)r
: covering (as shoes) for the feet

More from Merriam-Webster on footwear

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about footwear

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of kith

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 28

Why do we say 'break a leg'?
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All