You probably didn't know this, but just about every pair of shoes you've ever bought have had a tax included in the price.
Now lawmakers, some in Minnesota and Wisconsin, are hoping to give the boot to the tax created during the Great Depression.

Carolyn Phillips is looking for the right fit at this Payless Store, but what she doesn't know is that the price tags include a hidden tax.

"I don't think it's right. I don't think they should be taxing these boots," Phillips said.

But that wasn't the thought during the 1930's when the tariff was passed into law.

"It was designed to protect domestic shoe industry from cheap imports," according to Bill Alexander, the owner of Gopher Repair Shop Inc. in Duluth.

Today, however, 90% of shoes on store shelves are made somewhere else. But the tax is still tacked on, forcing consumers to cough up more cash.
In some cases, the tax can be as high as 67%.

"With the struggling economy, it's really hard to buy a pair of shoes, and try and afford a pair of descent shoes for myself and my kids," said Laura Johnson who was shopping for shoes for her daughter.

That's why the issue is at the forefront in Congress now more than ever. The Affordable footwear act hopes to repeal the law on lower priced shoes and children's shoes. But Repair shop owner Bill Alexander doesn't think dropping the tax would result in a price drop.

"It would give the manufacturer a chance to make some more money," said Alexander.

For more about the "Affordable Footwear Act" check out http://www.apparelandfootwear.org