Final Answer:
The increase that needs to be applied to the shoes to return to 90% of the original price is 30%. Thus, the correct option is c.
Step-by-step explanation:
The price of a pair of shoes was lowered by 25%, meaning a decrease of 25%. In order to calculate the increase that needs to be applied to the shoes to return to 90% of the original price, we must first find the new price after the decrease of 25%. To do this, we multiply the original price by 0.75, since 25% of the original price is being taken away. The new price after the decrease of 25% can be calculated by multiplying the original price by 0.75.
Now that we have the new price after the 25% decrease, we must calculate the increase that needs to be applied to the shoes to return to 90% of the original price. To do this, we can subtract the new price from 90% of the original price. The difference between these two prices is the increase that needs to be applied to the shoes to return to 90% of the original price.
Therefore, the increase that needs to be applied to the shoes to return to 90% of the original price is 30%. Thus, the correct answer is c) 30%.