Shoe prices in 1983
What happened to U.S. shoe prices in 1983, how that year ranks, and what 1983 prices come to in September 2026 money.
at September 2026 shoe prices (all footwear). Overall inflation would make it $338.29.
Ranks 53rd of 78 years since 1948, largest rise first. All items: +3.2%.
Shoes measured against everything else. Shoes got relatively cheaper.
Each shoe group in 1983
- Men’s shoes +1.3% Average index 99.6 · $100 then = $162.36 now · 24th of 47 years
- Women’s shoes +0.1% Average index 100.0 · $100 then = $142.11 now · 29th of 47 years
- Boys’ and girls’ shoes +0.7% Average index 99.7 · $100 then = $168.21 now · 28th of 47 years
- All footwear +0.7% Average index 99.8 · $100 then = $154.80 now · 53rd of 78 years
1983 in context
All footwear rose 0.7% in 1983, while the consumer price index for all items rose 3.2% and clothing rose 2.5%. That left shoes 2.5% cheaper relative to everything else people bought.
Men’s shoes rose 1.3% and women’s rose 0.1%, so men’s shoes rose faster by 1.1 points. Men’s vs women’s over time →
Before the store: the producer price index for footwear made in the United States rose 2.1%. Factory to store →
Ranked by yearly change, 1983 sits between 1997 (+0.7%) and 2024 (+0.7%).
Month by month in 1983 (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