Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-05-08
SENSIBLE SHOES.
SIMMER Foot Coverings for the
street and the House.

SIMMER Foot Coverings for the
street and the House.
When short dresses are fashionable the fit
ana SIZE q ones boots Is subject Of serious
consideration, and this summer Miss Flora Nc
fnmsey Will give the shoemakers no peace
until her foot is made to look as small, II not
smaller, than that OF any OF her friends Her
task viii be rather difficult, for Flora has been
wearing Louis QuinZe heels so long that her
little foot is sadly twisted and distorted, and
al the soaking In natrum water, all the polish
Ing with pumice, and all the rubbing with per-
TUNED Oil that an Egyptian beauty could teach
her to lavish upon IL would not restore 1t to the
graceful slenderness that 1t had In the days when
her sensible grandmother made her wear boot
that left half an inch space beyond her great toe
She is no worse than most other girls or most
other men, for that matter. for only about
are as long as they should be; but the thought
OF the rose buds, the young, freSh-faced maid
ems who are coming out next season, and whose
m9taers nave never allowed them to learn how
OF walking, makes Miss Flora almost wild with
envy. If 1 had my life to live over again, ;"
sue says clenching her fist, as well as her tight
glove VIII let her. as she looks at the queer lit
lie Knot OF flesh and bones that she calls foot.
and at the wide-SOled, broad-healed boot tn 1t
really fits 1t, " III had my life to live over again,
I'D wear these all the time; but IL begin with
them now, shall have to outwalk everybody.
for my heels Will be the only bit of my foot that
will be fit TO be SEEN" Flora is right; but 1t is
something to have even that, after having gone
about for several summers with heels that look
as If derived from African ancestors
The pretty three-strap slippers are still worn,
Dut even with these the tendency is to the
plainest styles, and the glltterng steel slide is
replaced by jet, and sometimes left off altOgeth-
fr, and slippers with two bows or o1e JoW are
preferred There are great many patterns.
from the four tightly strapped loops to the little
cascade bows that have five full loops each side
of the strap, and from the lusterless silk to the
lace and satin butterfly bows that are made to
wear with black grenadine dresses In Spanish
cascades that are worn for necktieS, Is almost
four inches long, and nearly covers the instep;
when worn with glove-ktd slipper this looks
well with almost any dress. The Nelson but
toned shoe and the Newport tie VIII both
appear In the street this summer, as they did
last year. but the English fancy for low shoes
stitched with white has not yet been imported
and until our climate becomes more equable
boots VIII be preferred to shoes for general
wear Broad-toed boots with the Scotch
welt are made for girls who take long country
walks and climb mountains by way of recrea-
ton, and for those who will DE foolish is there
not the DOrsay slipper that has the heel some
where unGer the hollow OF the foot, and curves
up at the back and down In the center and has
toe-pece that curlS up to cover the bunch of
III used muscles crowded TO the top OF the IN
step? For evening wear black or white satin
slippers are most used the demand for these
having sprung up within few months and
attained almost to the dimensions which II had
IN the days when no beauty would have dared
10 dance in any other shoe. Lawn tennis of
course, demands its own especial shoe and
those Worn in this country are far prettfer than
the hldeous queen Anne ankle-tteS that some
English players OF the game affect. The grooyed
ruDDer sole makes this shoe clumsy In appear-
ance, but by dint of tying It with bright rib
Dons and varying the color OF its kid mountiHgs
ii is made becoming.
In childrenS shoes common sense comes even
nearer 10 being supreme than in those worn by
ladies. for ii is almost impossible to sell very
hlgh heeled boot OF fine quality, and even those
shOrt-sighted persons who select cheap shoes
are learning that it Is better to have those that
are low-heeled. White blue and pink kid boots
are worn In full dress, but their appearance in
the street usually Indicates that the small per-
son who stands in them has q foolish mother or
has no other shoes.
The proper dress shoe for gentleman is the
patent leather pump, which is prettier than
anything else In spite OF the objections &C.
easfoRally raised against IT, "Hayen-t Won
anything that looks as well as patent
leather i9h 1,, diseontenedy asks young crsus
whose nimble-fOoted dancing arOuse5 his
envy, and whose neat pumps have twinkled
before his eyes In the most provoking way ever
since ne was a Toy. lie is shown the Kid pumps
whistles low, and buys the patent feathers sat,
1sf1ed that there is nothing that looks so we'll
For every day wear the French shoe, broad in
the sole and elastic OF upper" marks the ex-
IRENE common sense type, but most men con-
tent themselves with the enameIed shoe with
hight cloth top, or the French calf with blue
cloth. Both or these come In the buttOned and
Congress styles, but the latter is no prettier
than 1t ever was, and why a man wears it, I'M
less from sheer peTyerSity, 1t would be hard to
tell Some even go so far as to wear the Congress
boot without tips which Ii Is to be hoped are the
ugneSt things that ever will be invented by NOR
tai shoemaker. The tips that are found on all
really elegant shoes have little line OF fanctful
perioration which Is added apparently to please
The masculine weakness for ornament as the
pretty lettering and gliding Is placed on a hat
tip The toes are invariably broad. the mar
row taperfng toe that suggests knitting needle
as It's appropriate finish and corns as the inev-
ltdDle cOnStq uence OF wearing 1t, being called
by the expressive name OF .South Boston
rough and not being used at all by good
makers
Gfntlemens lawn tennis shoes are like those
made for ladies' and their yachting shoes are
even ugler, although il Is impossible to enjoy a
yachting trip without them, even with a Mary
nave Iu6oeT soleS and strap extending across
the loot Just below the instep, sandal-wise
The base tall shoe comes in all sizes for all
Americans who can run alone are supposed TO
take an lntereSt..tn the game. and like cricket
~ can only be properly played in costume
fiG1Dg boots extending above the knee are sold
Ior eqGestrians, although some prefer the Eng
IlSn hunting leggings which fasten around the
ieS with I'VE straps and protect the trouser
perfectly, and Others too indolent either to pull
Oh the long boots or 10 buckle the straps choose
tne spring ltgglnyS that can be snapped In place
Ia an instant and may be worn on either leg
ndlHerently. Last or ali, dear TO the conserya.
i've gentlemen, made on what DR.. Holmes calls
the three decker pattern, is the long plain boot,
Iather large in size, but OF good Shape which
has not changed lts fashion for Quarter OF a
century. This Is always sensible and as the
Olher boots seem trying to Initiate it, perhaps
the word Is improving a nttle.-B0st0n Tiults-
Crypt.