Shoe prices in 1970
What happened to U.S. shoe prices in 1970, how that year ranks, and what 1970 prices come to in September 2026 money.
at September 2026 shoe prices (all footwear). Overall inflation would make it $867.84.
Ranks 10th of 78 years since 1948, largest rise first. All items: +5.8%.
Shoes measured against everything else. Shoes got relatively cheaper.
Each shoe group in 1970
- All footwear +5.2% Average index 56.8 · $100 then = $272.26 now · 10th of 78 years
BLS began separate men’s, women’s, and boys’ and girls’ footwear indexes in December 1977, so 1970 has the all-footwear index only.
1970 in context
All footwear rose 5.2% in 1970, while the consumer price index for all items rose 5.8% and clothing rose 4.1%. That left shoes 0.6% cheaper relative to everything else people bought.
Before the store: the producer price index for footwear made in the United States rose 3.6%. Factory to store →
Ranked by yearly change, 1970 sits between 1981 (+5.3%) and 1956 (+5.2%).
Month by month in 1970 (January = 100)
- All footwear
Neighboring years
Yearly figures are averages of the twelve monthly BLS CPI-U values; 2026 uses the months published so far. How we calculate