All Fermi answers
Fermi #53 · Question 3

How many pairs of shoes are made worldwide each day?

Explore the official answer and the simple reasoning behind this Fermi estimate.

3QUESTION 3 OF 3

Answer & explanation

The official answer, with Fermi’s reasoning step by step.

Answer & explanation

Official answer

67,000,000

pairs

How to estimate it

Fermi’s official “Napkin math”

The easiest place to start is the world's population, about 8 billion. How many new pairs does the average person get a year? Some people buy lots, plenty buy one or none. Call it 3.

World population
8,000,000,000
New pairs per person a year
× 3
Pairs a year
≈ 24,000,000,000
24B ÷ 365 days
≈ 66,000,000

Rounded assumptions may give a slightly different estimate. The official answer above is the game’s reference value.

Source calculation & reference
Pairs made worldwide in 2025
24,600,000,000
Days in a year
÷ 365
24.6B ÷ 365
≈ 67,000,000

Reference cited by Fermi: APICCAPS World Footwear Yearbook 2026 (24.6 billion pairs produced in 2025)

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