54 years ago

Shoe prices in 1972

What happened to U.S. shoe prices in 1972, how that year ranks, and what 1972 prices come to in September 2026 money.

$100 of shoes in 1972

$256.44

at September 2026 shoe prices (all footwear). Overall inflation would make it $805.75.

1972 vs 1971

+2.8%

Ranks 30th of 78 years since 1948, largest rise first. All items: +3.3%.

Real change in 1972

−0.5%

Shoes measured against everything else. Shoes got relatively cheaper.

Have a price from 1972? Open 1972 in the calculator →

Each shoe group in 1972

All footwear +2.8% Average index 60.3 · $100 then = $256.44 now · 30th of 78 years

BLS began separate men’s, women’s, and boys’ and girls’ footwear indexes in December 1977, so 1972 has the all-footwear index only.

1972 in context

All footwear rose 2.8% in 1972, while the consumer price index for all items rose 3.3% and clothing rose 2.1%. That left shoes 0.5% cheaper relative to everything else people bought.

Before the store: the producer price index for footwear made in the United States rose 6.6%. Factory to store →

Ranked by yearly change, 1972 sits between 2005 (+2.8%) and 1990 (+2.6%).

Month by month in 1972 (January = 100)

All footwear

Not seasonally adjusted BLS CPI indexes.

Neighboring years

1970+5.2%1971+3.3%1973+4.2%1974+6.1%1975+4.5%1976+4.0%1977+4.6%1978+4.4%1979+7.9%

← 1971 · 1973 →

Yearly figures are averages of the twelve monthly BLS CPI-U values; 2026 uses the months published so far. How we calculate