Shoe prices in 1986
What happened to U.S. shoe prices in 1986, how that year ranks, and what 1986 prices come to in September 2026 money.
at September 2026 shoe prices (all footwear). Overall inflation would make it $307.40.
Ranks 66th of 78 years since 1948, largest rise first. All items: +1.9%.
Shoes measured against everything else. Shoes got relatively cheaper.
Each shoe group in 1986
- Men’s shoes +1.9% Average index 105.9 · $100 then = $152.71 now · 18th of 47 years
- Women’s shoes −2.4% Average index 98.5 · $100 then = $144.26 now · 46th of 47 years
- Boys’ and girls’ shoes −0.4% Average index 102.0 · $100 then = $164.46 now · 37th of 47 years
- All footwear −0.4% Average index 101.9 · $100 then = $151.59 now · 66th of 78 years
1986 in context
All footwear fell 0.4% in 1986, while the consumer price index for all items rose 1.9% and clothing rose 0.8%. That left shoes 2.3% cheaper relative to everything else people bought.
Men’s shoes rose 1.9% and women’s fell 2.4%, so men’s shoes rose faster by 4.3 points. Men’s vs women’s over time →
Before the store: the producer price index for footwear made in the United States rose 2.0%. Factory to store →
Ranked by yearly change, 1986 sits between 2004 (−0.3%) and 2017 (−0.5%).
Month by month in 1986 (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