Prices for Footwear, 1935-2023 ($20)
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for footwear are 928.28% higher in 2023 versus 1935 (a $185.66 difference in value).
Between 1935 and 2023: Footwear experienced an average inflation rate of 2.68% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, footwear costing $20 in the year 1935 would cost $205.66 in 2023 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.57% during this same period, inflation for footwear was lower.
Price Inflation for Footwear since 1935
Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1947 (24.84%), 1951 (13.10%), and 1942 (12.82%).
View price changes for other categories
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Buying power of $20.00 since 1935
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Footwear, over time, for $20 beginning in 1935. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1935 | $20.00 | - |
| 1936 | $20.29 | 1.43% |
| 1937 | $21.43 | 5.63% |
| 1938 | $21.43 | 0.00% ** |
| 1939 | $21.14 | -1.33% |
| 1940 | $21.43 | 1.35% |
| 1941 | $22.29 | 4.00% |
| 1942 | $25.14 | 12.82% |
| 1943 | $26.43 | 5.11% |
| 1944 | $27.57 | 4.32% |
| 1945 | $28.29 | 2.59% |
| 1946 | $31.71 | 12.12% |
| 1947 | $39.59 | 24.84% |
| 1948 | $43.25 | 9.24% |
| 1949 | $42.95 | -0.71% |
| 1950 | $43.62 | 1.56% |
| 1951 | $49.33 | 13.10% |
| 1952 | $48.35 | -1.98% |
| 1953 | $48.30 | -0.11% |
| 1954 | $48.85 | 1.14% |
| 1955 | $49.34 | 1.01% |
| 1956 | $51.91 | 5.21% |
| 1957 | $53.63 | 3.30% |
| 1958 | $54.45 | 1.54% |
| 1959 | $56.69 | 4.12% |
| 1960 | $58.67 | 3.49% |
| 1961 | $59.16 | 0.84% |
| 1962 | $60.01 | 1.43% |
| 1963 | $60.68 | 1.12% |
| 1964 | $60.95 | 0.43% |
| 1965 | $61.96 | 1.66% |
| 1966 | $65.68 | 6.01% |
| 1967 | $68.93 | 4.95% |
| 1968 | $72.58 | 5.29% |
| 1969 | $77.05 | 6.16% |
| 1970 | $81.08 | 5.22% |
| 1971 | $83.74 | 3.28% |
| 1972 | $86.08 | 2.80% |
| 1973 | $89.73 | 4.24% |
| 1974 | $95.19 | 6.09% |
| 1975 | $99.43 | 4.46% |
| 1976 | $103.35 | 3.95% |
| 1977 | $108.15 | 4.65% |
| 1978 | $112.88 | 4.37% |
| 1979 | $121.77 | 7.88% |
| 1980 | $131.18 | 7.72% |
| 1981 | $138.11 | 5.29% |
| 1982 | $141.62 | 2.54% |
| 1983 | $142.58 | 0.68% |
| 1984 | $144.36 | 1.25% |
| 1985 | $146.22 | 1.29% |
| 1986 | $145.60 | -0.42% |
| 1987 | $150.15 | 3.12% |
| 1988 | $157.04 | 4.59% |
| 1989 | $163.36 | 4.02% |
| 1990 | $167.67 | 2.64% |
| 1991 | $172.69 | 3.00% |
| 1992 | $178.51 | 3.37% |
| 1993 | $179.82 | 0.74% |
| 1994 | $180.00 | 0.10% |
| 1995 | $179.18 | -0.46% |
| 1996 | $180.89 | 0.96% |
| 1997 | $182.23 | 0.74% |
| 1998 | $182.90 | 0.37% |
| 1999 | $179.60 | -1.80% |
| 2000 | $176.85 | -1.54% |
| 2001 | $175.70 | -0.65% |
| 2002 | $173.41 | -1.31% |
| 2003 | $170.80 | -1.50% |
| 2004 | $170.36 | -0.26% |
| 2005 | $175.16 | 2.82% |
| 2006 | $176.47 | 0.75% |
| 2007 | $174.82 | -0.94% |
| 2008 | $177.37 | 1.46% |
| 2009 | $181.22 | 2.17% |
| 2010 | $182.84 | 0.89% |
| 2011 | $183.55 | 0.39% |
| 2012 | $188.33 | 2.61% |
| 2013 | $192.88 | 2.41% |
| 2014 | $193.50 | 0.32% |
| 2015 | $195.41 | 0.99% |
| 2016 | $196.16 | 0.39% |
| 2017 | $195.27 | -0.46% |
| 2018 | $194.36 | -0.46% |
| 2019 | $195.27 | 0.47% |
| 2020 | $190.31 | -2.54% |
| 2021 | $197.35 | 3.70% |
| 2022 | $206.45 | 4.61% |
| 2023 | $205.66 | -0.39%* |
* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.
** Extended periods of 0% inflation usually indicate incomplete underlying data. This can manifest as a sharp increase in inflation later on.
Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for Footwear:
| Year | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
| CPI | 14.000 | 14.200 | 15.000 | 15.000 | 14.800 | 15.000 | 15.600 | 17.600 | 18.500 | 19.300 | 19.800 | 22.200 | 27.715 | 30.277 | 30.062 | 30.531 | 34.531 | 33.846 | 33.808 | 34.192 | 34.538 | 36.338 | 37.538 | 38.115 | 39.685 | 41.069 | 41.415 | 42.008 | 42.477 | 42.662 | 43.369 | 45.977 | 48.254 | 50.808 | 53.938 | 56.754 | 58.615 | 60.254 | 62.808 | 66.631 | 69.600 | 72.346 | 75.708 | 79.015 | 85.238 | 91.823 | 96.677 | 99.131 | 99.808 | 101.054 | 102.354 | 101.923 | 105.108 | 109.931 | 114.354 | 117.369 | 120.885 | 124.954 | 125.877 | 126.000 | 125.423 | 126.623 | 127.562 | 128.031 | 125.723 | 123.792 | 122.992 | 121.385 | 119.562 | 119.254 | 122.615 | 123.531 | 122.374 | 124.157 | 126.854 | 127.988 | 128.482 | 131.834 | 135.016 | 135.452 | 136.787 | 137.315 | 136.689 | 136.054 | 136.692 | 133.220 | 138.148 | 144.518 | 143.959 |
Adjust footwear prices for inflation
Start with the inflation rate formula:
CPI in 2023 / CPI in 1935 * 1935 USD value = 2023 USD value
Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Footwear was 14.000 in the year 1935 and 143.959 in 2023:
143.959 / 14.000 * $20 = $205.66
Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1935 has the same "purchasing power" as $205.66 in 2023 (in the CPI category of Footwear).
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Footwear in 1935. In addition to footwear, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.
