Prices for Footwear, 1937-2024 ($20)
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for footwear are 873.38% higher in 2024 versus 1937 (a $174.68 difference in value).
Between 1937 and 2024: Footwear experienced an average inflation rate of 2.65% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, footwear costing $20 in the year 1937 would cost $194.68 in 2024 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.60% during this same period, inflation for footwear was lower.
In the year 1937: Pricing changed by 5.63%, which is above the average yearly change for footwear during the 1937-2024 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1937 (3.72%), inflation for footwear was higher.
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 1937
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Footwear, over time, for $20 beginning in 1937. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1937 | $20.00 | 5.63% |
| 1938 | $20.00 | 0.00% ** |
| 1939 | $19.73 | -1.33% |
| 1940 | $20.00 | 1.35% |
| 1941 | $20.80 | 4.00% |
| 1942 | $23.47 | 12.82% |
| 1943 | $24.67 | 5.11% |
| 1944 | $25.73 | 4.32% |
| 1945 | $26.40 | 2.59% |
| 1946 | $29.60 | 12.12% |
| 1947 | $36.95 | 24.84% |
| 1948 | $40.37 | 9.24% |
| 1949 | $40.08 | -0.71% |
| 1950 | $40.71 | 1.56% |
| 1951 | $46.04 | 13.10% |
| 1952 | $45.13 | -1.98% |
| 1953 | $45.08 | -0.11% |
| 1954 | $45.59 | 1.14% |
| 1955 | $46.05 | 1.01% |
| 1956 | $48.45 | 5.21% |
| 1957 | $50.05 | 3.30% |
| 1958 | $50.82 | 1.54% |
| 1959 | $52.91 | 4.12% |
| 1960 | $54.76 | 3.49% |
| 1961 | $55.22 | 0.84% |
| 1962 | $56.01 | 1.43% |
| 1963 | $56.64 | 1.12% |
| 1964 | $56.88 | 0.43% |
| 1965 | $57.83 | 1.66% |
| 1966 | $61.30 | 6.01% |
| 1967 | $64.34 | 4.95% |
| 1968 | $67.74 | 5.29% |
| 1969 | $71.92 | 6.16% |
| 1970 | $75.67 | 5.22% |
| 1971 | $78.15 | 3.28% |
| 1972 | $80.34 | 2.80% |
| 1973 | $83.74 | 4.24% |
| 1974 | $88.84 | 6.09% |
| 1975 | $92.80 | 4.46% |
| 1976 | $96.46 | 3.95% |
| 1977 | $100.94 | 4.65% |
| 1978 | $105.35 | 4.37% |
| 1979 | $113.65 | 7.88% |
| 1980 | $122.43 | 7.72% |
| 1981 | $128.90 | 5.29% |
| 1982 | $132.17 | 2.54% |
| 1983 | $133.08 | 0.68% |
| 1984 | $134.74 | 1.25% |
| 1985 | $136.47 | 1.29% |
| 1986 | $135.90 | -0.42% |
| 1987 | $140.14 | 3.12% |
| 1988 | $146.57 | 4.59% |
| 1989 | $152.47 | 4.02% |
| 1990 | $156.49 | 2.64% |
| 1991 | $161.18 | 3.00% |
| 1992 | $166.61 | 3.37% |
| 1993 | $167.84 | 0.74% |
| 1994 | $168.00 | 0.10% |
| 1995 | $167.23 | -0.46% |
| 1996 | $168.83 | 0.96% |
| 1997 | $170.08 | 0.74% |
| 1998 | $170.71 | 0.37% |
| 1999 | $167.63 | -1.80% |
| 2000 | $165.06 | -1.54% |
| 2001 | $163.99 | -0.65% |
| 2002 | $161.85 | -1.31% |
| 2003 | $159.42 | -1.50% |
| 2004 | $159.01 | -0.26% |
| 2005 | $163.49 | 2.82% |
| 2006 | $164.71 | 0.75% |
| 2007 | $163.17 | -0.94% |
| 2008 | $165.54 | 1.46% |
| 2009 | $169.14 | 2.17% |
| 2010 | $170.65 | 0.89% |
| 2011 | $171.31 | 0.39% |
| 2012 | $175.78 | 2.61% |
| 2013 | $180.02 | 2.41% |
| 2014 | $180.60 | 0.32% |
| 2015 | $182.38 | 0.99% |
| 2016 | $183.09 | 0.39% |
| 2017 | $182.25 | -0.46% |
| 2018 | $181.40 | -0.46% |
| 2019 | $182.26 | 0.47% |
| 2020 | $177.63 | -2.54% |
| 2021 | $184.20 | 3.70% |
| 2022 | $192.69 | 4.61% |
| 2023 | $193.13 | 0.23% |
| 2024 | $194.68 | 0.80%* |
* 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 | 2024 |
| 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 | 144.846 | 146.007 |
Adjust footwear prices for inflation
Start with the inflation rate formula:
CPI in 2024 / CPI in 1937 * 1937 USD value = 2024 USD value
Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Footwear was 15.000 in the year 1937 and 146.007 in 2024:
146.007 / 15.000 * $20 = $194.68
Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1937 has the same "purchasing power" as $194.68 in 2024 (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.
