Footwear priced at $20 in 1949 $96.53 in 2023

Footwear Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Footwear, 1949-2023 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for footwear are 382.63% higher in 2023 versus 1949 (a $76.53 difference in value).

Between 1949 and 2023: Footwear experienced an average inflation rate of 2.15% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, footwear costing $20 in the year 1949 would cost $96.53 in 2023 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 3.50% 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 1949-2023 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1949 (-0.99%), 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 1949

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:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1949$20.00-0.71%
1950$20.311.56%
1951$22.9713.10%
1952$22.52-1.98%
1953$22.49-0.11%
1954$22.751.14%
1955$22.981.01%
1956$24.185.21%
1957$24.973.30%
1958$25.361.54%
1959$26.404.12%
1960$27.323.49%
1961$27.550.84%
1962$27.951.43%
1963$28.261.12%
1964$28.380.43%
1965$28.851.66%
1966$30.596.01%
1967$32.104.95%
1968$33.805.29%
1969$35.896.16%
1970$37.765.22%
1971$39.003.28%
1972$40.092.80%
1973$41.794.24%
1974$44.336.09%
1975$46.314.46%
1976$48.133.95%
1977$50.374.65%
1978$52.574.37%
1979$56.717.88%
1980$61.097.72%
1981$64.325.29%
1982$65.952.54%
1983$66.400.68%
1984$67.231.25%
1985$68.101.29%
1986$67.81-0.42%
1987$69.933.12%
1988$73.144.59%
1989$76.084.02%
1990$78.092.64%
1991$80.423.00%
1992$83.133.37%
1993$83.750.74%
1994$83.830.10%
1995$83.44-0.46%
1996$84.240.96%
1997$84.870.74%
1998$85.180.37%
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$81.582.82%
2006$82.190.75%
2007$81.42-0.94%
2008$82.601.46%
2009$84.402.17%
2010$85.150.89%
2011$85.480.39%
2012$87.712.61%
2013$89.832.41%
2014$90.120.32%
2015$91.000.99%
2016$91.360.39%
2017$90.94-0.46%
2018$90.52-0.46%
2019$90.940.47%
2020$88.63-2.54%
2021$91.913.70%
2022$96.154.61%
2023$96.530.39%*

* 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:

Year19351936193719381939194019411942194319441945194619471948194919501951195219531954195519561957195819591960196119621963196419651966196719681969197019711972197319741975197619771978197919801981198219831984198519861987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023
CPI14.00014.20015.00015.00014.80015.00015.60017.60018.50019.30019.80022.20027.71530.27730.06230.53134.53133.84633.80834.19234.53836.33837.53838.11539.68541.06941.41542.00842.47742.66243.36945.97748.25450.80853.93856.75458.61560.25462.80866.63169.60072.34675.70879.01585.23891.82396.67799.13199.808101.054102.354101.923105.108109.931114.354117.369120.885124.954125.877126.000125.423126.623127.562128.031125.723123.792122.992121.385119.562119.254122.615123.531122.374124.157126.854127.988128.482131.834135.016135.452136.787137.315136.689136.054136.692133.220138.148144.518145.087

Adjust footwear prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2023 / CPI in 1949 * 1949 USD value = 2023 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Footwear was 30.062 in the year 1949 and 145.087 in 2023:

145.087 / 30.062 * $20 = $96.53

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1949 has the same "purchasing power" as $96.53 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.

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