Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-12-15
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Sensible Shoes.
What the New York Times Does and
Does Not Know of Felni-
nine Footwear.

What the New York Times Does and
Does Not Know of Feni-
nine Footwear.
Recently the New York Times, usually
we'll informed, had the annexed paragraph
explanatory of the reason why ladies wore
high-h heel boots "Women who pretend to
dress well arc continually censured and
ridiculed for wearing boots of the prevail
ing style, conspicuous for very high, small
heels, which spoil their gait and eventually
their feet. 1t is very foolish, to say the
least but a partial excuse may be made
for the women from the fact that they
cannot buy boots with low, broad heels,
such as comfort and reason would demand
the shops do not keep them consequently
it is idle to advise the purchase of what is
not to be had. When anything is out OF
fashion in New York, it disappears alto
gether. 1t is not simply laid aside. as
might be inferred, until it is call
ed for. There are no old styles
in any of the first-class shops.
They probably go to auction, or are sent to
the country at any rate, they are got rid
of. We have kno1 women to 60 to thir-
ty or forty shops Tor what they call sensi-
bic boots-that is, low-hceled bOots-with
out being able to get them. They would
finally take what they could find but did
not want. They could leave their meas
ure, to be sure, for the sort of heels they
wish but those who have done SO say they
have great difficulty in being suited.
What is not generally worn is hard to have
made. Women who have ordered low
heeled boots have been SO displeased with
them when done that they have returned
to the more convenient custom Of buying
pOots ready made. II women could pur-
chase sensible boots without trouble many
of them doubtless would. Wearing high
heels is not SO much a matter of fashion
and folly as it is OF convenience and econ
Omy Of time"
Reporter, presumably good authority in
the matter, takes exception saying "We
clip the foregoing from tho editorial page
of our cstimable contemporary, the New
York Times. That excellent journal is an
undoubted authority on most topics but
when it ventures into the domains of the
shoe manufacture, it reveals a lack of ac-
quaintance with the prevailing styles,
which prompts us, in 4 spirit of neishborly
regard, to come to its relief. Our leading
manufacturers have not, for year past,
been making any ladies' boots Or shoes
with high heels, except on special orders,
of which they receive very few. The
simple fact is that the kind of heel very
properly deprecated by the Times has gone
entirely out of fashion, and the demand is
general all over the country for low
heel and broad sole. In truth, these art
the kind that are first shown to customer
in any Of the prominent retail shops. The
high heels arc the ones that the ladies
cannot procure without having them made
to order II our friends have any doubt
on this subject, VIC will very cheerfulll
put them in the way of informing them
selves as to the improvements in thi
branch of Oim art that have been effected
within the past eighteen months. Some
of the large houses engaged in making
shoes OF the finest quality have paid con
siderable sums Of money for new lasts t.
conform to the later requirements