Footwear priced at $20 in 1981 $30.12 in 2024

Footwear Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Footwear, 1981-2024 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for footwear are 50.62% higher in 2024 versus 1981 (a $10.12 difference in value).

Between 1981 and 2024: Footwear experienced an average inflation rate of 0.96% per year. In other words, footwear costing $20 in the year 1981 would cost $30.12 in 2024 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.91% during this same period, inflation for footwear was lower.

In the year 1981: Pricing changed by 5.29%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for footwear during the 1981-2024 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1981 (10.33%), inflation for footwear was much 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 1981

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Footwear, over time, for $20 beginning in 1981. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1981$20.005.29%
1982$20.512.54%
1983$20.650.68%
1984$20.911.25%
1985$21.171.29%
1986$21.09-0.42%
1987$21.743.12%
1988$22.744.59%
1989$23.664.02%
1990$24.282.64%
1991$25.013.00%
1992$25.853.37%
1993$26.040.74%
1994$26.070.10%
1995$25.95-0.46%
1996$26.200.96%
1997$26.390.74%
1998$26.490.37%
1999$26.01-1.80%
2000$25.61-1.54%
2001$25.44-0.65%
2002$25.11-1.31%
2003$24.73-1.50%
2004$24.67-0.26%
2005$25.372.82%
2006$25.560.75%
2007$25.32-0.94%
2008$25.681.46%
2009$26.242.17%
2010$26.480.89%
2011$26.580.39%
2012$27.272.61%
2013$27.932.41%
2014$28.020.32%
2015$28.300.99%
2016$28.410.39%
2017$28.28-0.46%
2018$28.15-0.46%
2019$28.280.47%
2020$27.56-2.54%
2021$28.583.70%
2022$29.904.61%
2023$29.960.23%
2024$30.120.53%*

* 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:

Year193519361937193819391940194119421943194419451946194719481949195019511952195319541955195619571958195919601961196219631964196519661967196819691970197119721973197419751976197719781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
CPI14.00014.20015.00015.00014.80015.00015.60017.60018.50019.30019.80022.20027.71530.27730.06230.53134.53133.84633.80834.19234.53836.33837.53838.11539.68541.06941.41542.00842.47742.66243.36945.97748.25450.80853.93856.75458.61560.25462.80866.63169.60072.34675.70879.01585.23891.82396.67799.13199.808101.054102.354101.923105.108109.931114.354117.369120.885124.954125.877126.000125.423126.623127.562128.031125.723123.792122.992121.385119.562119.254122.615123.531122.374124.157126.854127.988128.482131.834135.016135.452136.787137.315136.689136.054136.692133.220138.148144.518144.846145.614

Adjust footwear prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2024 / CPI in 1981 * 1981 USD value = 2024 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Footwear was 96.677 in the year 1981 and 145.614 in 2024:

145.614 / 96.677 * $20 = $30.12

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1981 has the same "purchasing power" as $30.12 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.

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