Shoe prices in 1984
What happened to U.S. shoe prices in 1984, how that year ranks, and what 1984 prices come to in September 2026 money.
at September 2026 shoe prices (all footwear). Overall inflation would make it $324.35.
Ranks 42nd of 78 years since 1948, largest rise first. All items: +4.3%.
Shoes measured against everything else. Shoes got relatively cheaper.
Each shoe group in 1984
- Men’s shoes +2.3% Average index 102.0 · $100 then = $158.66 now · 16th of 47 years
- Women’s shoes +0.2% Average index 100.2 · $100 then = $141.86 now · 28th of 47 years
- Boys’ and girls’ shoes +1.5% Average index 101.2 · $100 then = $165.65 now · 21st of 47 years
- All footwear +1.2% Average index 101.0 · $100 then = $152.90 now · 42nd of 78 years
1984 in context
All footwear rose 1.2% in 1984, while the consumer price index for all items rose 4.3% and clothing rose 1.8%. That left shoes 2.9% cheaper relative to everything else people bought.
Men’s shoes rose 2.3% and women’s rose 0.2%, so men’s shoes rose faster by 2.2 points. Men’s vs women’s over time →
Before the store: the producer price index for footwear made in the United States rose 0.6%. Factory to store →
Ranked by yearly change, 1984 sits between 1985 (+1.3%) and 1954 (+1.1%).
Month by month in 1984 (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