Shoe prices in 1987
What happened to U.S. shoe prices in 1987, how that year ranks, and what 1987 prices come to in September 2026 money.
at September 2026 shoe prices (all footwear). Overall inflation would make it $296.54.
Ranks 27th of 78 years since 1948, largest rise first. All items: +3.7%.
Shoes measured against everything else. Shoes got relatively cheaper.
Each shoe group in 1987
- Men’s shoes +3.5% Average index 109.7 · $100 then = $147.48 now · 8th of 47 years
- Women’s shoes +2.5% Average index 100.9 · $100 then = $140.77 now · 14th of 47 years
- Boys’ and girls’ shoes +3.6% Average index 105.6 · $100 then = $158.80 now · 13th of 47 years
- All footwear +3.1% Average index 105.1 · $100 then = $147.00 now · 27th of 78 years
1987 in context
All footwear rose 3.1% in 1987, while the consumer price index for all items rose 3.7% and clothing rose 4.4%. That left shoes 0.5% cheaper relative to everything else people bought.
Men’s shoes rose 3.5% and women’s rose 2.5%, 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 2.3%. Factory to store →
Ranked by yearly change, 1987 sits between 1971 (+3.3%) and 1991 (+3.0%).
Month by month in 1987 (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