LaCrosse Footwear, Inc. said it expects to report net sales of approximately $42.5 million, up approximately 21% from the same period of 2008. For the full year 2009, net sales are expected to be approximately $139.2 million, up approximately 9% from 2008.

Sales for the fourth quarter of 2009 increased strongly in both the work and outdoor markets. Work sales are expected to be approximately $25.2 million for the quarter, up approximately 25% from the same period in 2008. Outdoor sales are expected to be approximately $17.3 million for the quarter, up approximately 16% from the same period in 2008.

At the end of 2009, LaCrosse had cash and cash equivalents of approximately $17.7 million, up approximately 30% from the end of 2008, even after making investments of $2.6 million in its new Midwest distribution center and paying dividends of $3.2 million to its shareholders during 2009.

“We’re very pleased to see our strong sales growth in the fourth quarter of 2009 driven by increasing demand across work and outdoor markets,” said Joseph P. Schneider, president and CEO of LaCrosse Footwear, Inc. “We saw stronger at-once demand from new and longstanding retail channels, reflecting the improving economic environment and the success of our new products during the quarter. We also continued to see strong demand from various branches of the U.S. military. In preparation for our presentation next week at the Cowen and Company’s Annual Consumer Conference, we decided to announce these preliminary results.”