Shoe prices in 1982
What happened to U.S. shoe prices in 1982, how that year ranks, and what 1982 prices come to in September 2026 money.
at September 2026 shoe prices (all footwear). Overall inflation would make it $349.16.
Ranks 33rd of 78 years since 1948, largest rise first. All items: +6.1%.
Shoes measured against everything else. Shoes got relatively cheaper.
Each shoe group in 1982
- Men’s shoes +3.3% Average index 98.4 · $100 then = $164.41 now · 11th of 47 years
- Women’s shoes +3.2% Average index 99.8 · $100 then = $142.31 now · 10th of 47 years
- Boys’ and girls’ shoes +0.7% Average index 99.0 · $100 then = $169.33 now · 27th of 47 years
- All footwear +2.5% Average index 99.1 · $100 then = $155.86 now · 33rd of 78 years
1982 in context
All footwear rose 2.5% in 1982, while the consumer price index for all items rose 6.1% and clothing rose 2.6%. That left shoes 3.4% cheaper relative to everything else people bought.
Men’s shoes rose 3.3% and women’s rose 3.2%, so men’s shoes rose faster by 0.2 points. Men’s vs women’s over time →
Before the store: the producer price index for footwear made in the United States rose 1.7%. Factory to store →
Ranked by yearly change, 1982 sits between 2012 (+2.6%) and 2013 (+2.4%).
Month by month in 1982 (January = 100)
- Men’s shoes
- Women’s shoes
- Boys’ and girls’ shoes
Neighboring years
Yearly figures are averages of the twelve monthly BLS CPI-U values; 2026 uses the months published so far. How we calculate