According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for footwear are 384.59% higher in 2025 versus 1949 (a $76.92 difference in value).
Between 1949 and 2025: Footwear experienced an average inflation rate of 2.10% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, footwear costing $20 in the year 1949 would cost $96.92 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.47% during this same period, inflation for footwear was lower.
In the year 1949: Pricing changed by -0.71%, which is below the average yearly change for footwear during the 1949-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1949 (-0.99%), inflation for footwear was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Footwear, over time, for $20 beginning in 1949. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1949 | $20.00 | -0.71% |
| 1950 | $20.31 | 1.56% |
| 1951 | $22.97 | 13.10% |
| 1952 | $22.52 | -1.98% |
| 1953 | $22.49 | -0.11% |
| 1954 | $22.75 | 1.14% |
| 1955 | $22.98 | 1.01% |
| 1956 | $24.18 | 5.21% |
| 1957 | $24.97 | 3.30% |
| 1958 | $25.36 | 1.54% |
| 1959 | $26.40 | 4.12% |
| 1960 | $27.32 | 3.49% |
| 1961 | $27.55 | 0.84% |
| 1962 | $27.95 | 1.43% |
| 1963 | $28.26 | 1.12% |
| 1964 | $28.38 | 0.43% |
| 1965 | $28.85 | 1.66% |
| 1966 | $30.59 | 6.01% |
| 1967 | $32.10 | 4.95% |
| 1968 | $33.80 | 5.29% |
| 1969 | $35.89 | 6.16% |
| 1970 | $37.76 | 5.22% |
| 1971 | $39.00 | 3.28% |
| 1972 | $40.09 | 2.80% |
| 1973 | $41.79 | 4.24% |
| 1974 | $44.33 | 6.09% |
| 1975 | $46.31 | 4.46% |
| 1976 | $48.13 | 3.95% |
| 1977 | $50.37 | 4.65% |
| 1978 | $52.57 | 4.37% |
| 1979 | $56.71 | 7.88% |
| 1980 | $61.09 | 7.72% |
| 1981 | $64.32 | 5.29% |
| 1982 | $65.95 | 2.54% |
| 1983 | $66.40 | 0.68% |
| 1984 | $67.23 | 1.25% |
| 1985 | $68.10 | 1.29% |
| 1986 | $67.81 | -0.42% |
| 1987 | $69.93 | 3.12% |
| 1988 | $73.14 | 4.59% |
| 1989 | $76.08 | 4.02% |
| 1990 | $78.09 | 2.64% |
| 1991 | $80.42 | 3.00% |
| 1992 | $83.13 | 3.37% |
| 1993 | $83.75 | 0.74% |
| 1994 | $83.83 | 0.10% |
| 1995 | $83.44 | -0.46% |
| 1996 | $84.24 | 0.96% |
| 1997 | $84.87 | 0.74% |
| 1998 | $85.18 | 0.37% |
| 1999 | $83.64 | -1.80% |
| 2000 | $82.36 | -1.54% |
| 2001 | $81.83 | -0.65% |
| 2002 | $80.76 | -1.31% |
| 2003 | $79.54 | -1.50% |
| 2004 | $79.34 | -0.26% |
| 2005 | $81.58 | 2.82% |
| 2006 | $82.19 | 0.75% |
| 2007 | $81.42 | -0.94% |
| 2008 | $82.60 | 1.46% |
| 2009 | $84.40 | 2.17% |
| 2010 | $85.15 | 0.89% |
| 2011 | $85.48 | 0.39% |
| 2012 | $87.71 | 2.61% |
| 2013 | $89.83 | 2.41% |
| 2014 | $90.12 | 0.32% |
| 2015 | $91.00 | 0.99% |
| 2016 | $91.36 | 0.39% |
| 2017 | $90.94 | -0.46% |
| 2018 | $90.52 | -0.46% |
| 2019 | $90.94 | 0.47% |
| 2020 | $88.63 | -2.54% |
| 2021 | $91.91 | 3.70% |
| 2022 | $96.15 | 4.61% |
| 2023 | $96.37 | 0.23% |
| 2024 | $96.99 | 0.65% |
| 2025 | $96.92 | -0.08%* |
* 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 | 2025 |
| 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 | 145.790 | 145.674 |