The Best Stores to Purchase From When Shipping to Canada

Before reading this guide there is a few important things to know:

• These recommendations are only provided with the assumption you will purchase one shoe for less than €250. Purchasing multiple items or single high priced items can make everything listed her irrelevant.
• Do not take these recommendations as a definitive guide on how to avoid duties. They are only suggestions for options that may lead to you paying $0 duties or paying minimal taxes on delivery.
• At anytime a CBSA agent may charge you duties + taxes regardless of the information listed here. There is some risk associated with every order but in our experience the reward has been much greater.
• An example of this, one time we ordered 3 pairs of shoes from OBD and paid $0 duties. Another time we ordered one pair and were charged $40 CAD.
• If a store is not listed below then you can assume shipping with them to Canada will lead to 30/35% in duties/taxes/fees to be paid upon delivery/
• Shipping from Europe to the US will always be duty free for orders under $800 USD. There is no such trade agreement between the US/EU and Canada.

We are not responsible for any charges you incur on orders made when using the below shipping methods

Hanon Shop (UK)

Shipping Method: EMS to Canada Post

EMS is the preferred shipping method when importing to Canada because the packages are handled by Canada Post once they have entered Canada. Hanon ships to Canada with VAT removed at check out. While you may incur situations where you pay duties on a package, the majority of the time your experience will be either $0 paid or 12% tax + $10 handling fee. In my experience even with 12% tax + the fee this leads to a retail/near retail purchase.

8 of my last 10 deliveries from Hanon came duty free. The two times they did not come duty free  paid $10 handling + 12% tax ($30 to $40).

Tres Bien (SE)

Shipping Method: Fedex

Tres Bien removes VAT at check out for orders shipped to Canada or the US and ships for a low price. Tres Bien ships all product to US and Canada with a low customs value of $20 USD per item which is why in our experience its a great option for Canadians. While your order may arrive duty free to your door, Fedex can follow up weeks later and invoice you for a small amount ($20 CAD). My last order contained two pairs of shoes and Tres Bien valued them at $40 CAD and in turn I paid $34 in duties/tax/handling fees.

One Block Down (IT)

Shipping Method: You must select EMS at check out

OBD has it’s moments as a top option. Shipping to Canada via EMS is expensive (€35 for one item) so it’s important that they remove VAT for your order. Unfortuently this varies release to release so you need to pay attention and convert their price to know what that translates to in CAD. When you check out you MUST select EMS as the shipping service (and not DHL) or else you will be subject to high duties. Selecting EMS in our experience has lead to no duties at all or 12% tax + $10 handling fee. In the past Canada Post has charged me 12% tax on the price with €35 shipping included. When this happened I paid the charge and then disputed it and received a refund a few weeks later.

Holypop (IT)

Shipping Method: EMS to Canada Post

Holypop, like its Italian counterpart One Block Down, is another good option pending they remove VAT on purchases. Holypop only offers EMS as the shipping method to Canada so there is no need to be concerned with selecting the correct shipping method. Shipping is €35 for one item or €40 regardless of how many items are added to cart. This makes Holypop a slightly better option than OBD. Like all other EMS shippers, this can lead to $0 duties when shipped to Canada and in our experience at worst is a payment of 12% tax on your order + a $10 handling fee.

Highs and Lows (AU)

Shipping Method: Australia Post to Canada Post

We’ve placed two orders now from this store and both have come into Canada with minimal duties. Both times the orders contained two pairs of shoes valued at 400 AUD and both times Highs and Lows claimed them as 200 AUD in value for customs declarations. In both cases the total cost was under $20 for duties and taxes.

Highs and Lows also offers free shipping to Canada on orders over 400 AUD. Otherwise shipping is $25 AUD. The CAD and AUD are mostly on par with each other.