Shoe prices in 1990
What happened to U.S. shoe prices in 1990, how that year ranks, and what 1990 prices come to in September 2026 money.
at September 2026 shoe prices (all footwear). Overall inflation would make it $257.88.
Ranks 31st of 78 years since 1948, largest rise first. All items: +5.4%.
Shoes measured against everything else. Shoes got relatively cheaper.
Each shoe group in 1990
- Men’s shoes +3.5% Average index 124.5 · $100 then = $129.90 now · 9th of 47 years
- Women’s shoes +1.5% Average index 110.6 · $100 then = $128.48 now · 17th of 47 years
- Boys’ and girls’ shoes +3.9% Average index 120.0 · $100 then = $139.72 now · 12th of 47 years
- All footwear +2.6% Average index 117.4 · $100 then = $131.64 now · 31st of 78 years
1990 in context
All footwear rose 2.6% in 1990, while the consumer price index for all items rose 5.4% and clothing rose 4.6%. That left shoes 2.6% cheaper relative to everything else people bought.
Men’s shoes rose 3.5% and women’s rose 1.5%, so men’s shoes rose faster by 2.0 points. Men’s vs women’s over time →
Before the store: the producer price index for footwear made in the United States rose 4.0%. Factory to store →
Ranked by yearly change, 1990 sits between 1972 (+2.8%) and 2012 (+2.6%).
Month by month in 1990 (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