Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-04-26

What an Avenue Shoe Dealer Says
Upon n Delicate Subject-The Small
Feet Of the Ladies' Of WashingtOn-
Peculiarities Of Ladies' Feet i'm Dit.
ferent Parts Of the Country. &C.

"Small feet? Yes, the ladies of Washington
have very small feet" said a popular Avenue
shoe dealer to STAR reporter the other day,
holding up pair of dainty French kids admir-
ingly. There's no city in the country where
the ladies have smaller feet, If you leave out the
transcients. Sometimes we find big feet among
the strangers who come here to spend the win
ter. but the Washington ladies have small feet.
The average size gater we sell is from 'twos' to
'threes- and-a-half' Ones are not infrequentIy
called for, and of 'Ones- and a half we sell a
great many
ITO missesi" queried the reporter.
mo. not to misses. To young ladies and
married women. There are lots of small feet in
our fashionable custom. It's a wonder short
dresses are not more fashionable here If you
knew how many pretty feet were hid under
those sweeping dresses it would make you
mad"
Then he squeezed the toes Of the dainty little
shoe, and ran his hand over the high, arched
instep.
mo, sir, you don't know" he continued;
you don't know how many pretty feet are hid
by these long skirts. .Any striking instances
of small feet? Why, yes. Theres-but, no;
1t would not do to give names But there are
instances enough. There's young lady who
deals with us. She lives up near Connecticut
! avenue somewhere. She's big, fine looking
lady; tall, and beautifully formed, and would
weigh, guess, about hundred and seventy
pounds. When she came here after q pair OF
shoes for the first time | was never more aston
ished In my life. She wore number one and
had the prettiest little foot I ever saw. Such q
foot! Such an ankle! You should have Sc
Oh. no, you shouldn't; / didn't mean to say
that: But it was just perfect. A delicately
| fashioned foot, with high, arched instep, and
had to move the two top buttons as far as
could to make the ankle large enough. You just
ought-but excuse me; l should not speak sc
Familiarity about the young lady's foot. She
would not like it. Yes, our trades mostly among
fashionable ladies. and we sell lots of small
shoes"
There's lots Of difference in feet The
southern ladies have very small feet with high
arched insteps and always let their toes 20
right up to the end Of the shoe. The eastern
ladies have long, narrow, delicate feet, and
wear their shoes tritie too long. The western
women, like the southern wear their shoes
close and have short feet. but they are fat and
heavy. The ideal aristocratic foot-small and
delicate, with high arched instep-is found
chiefly in the SOUTH
What style shoes are most worn by ladies?'
asked the reporter.
''Oh, all styles. There are the pointed toe
and the medium toe (pOinting to two styles in
| the case); the uTtra-French heel. and the same
style more modified, but the shoes we sell the
most to the best people are the cOmmon-sense
best stock is put up in this style
We have been selling them for three
years, but they are worn more now than
ever before They are increasing in popularity
all the time The pointed toes and ultra
French heels are looked upon as trifie fast fol
ladies, and are not as much worn except by q
| certain class. The moderation shoe is worn a
great deal by those who do not care to go to the
extreme in the way of broad toes. or who fancy
| them less comfortable. You can generally tell q
person Of refined taste by the shoes they buy
| and there Is a deal Of character study about the
| feet. You will find that among the best people
the children are not allowed to wear heels to
their shoes. Misses often wear no heels until
they are twelve or fifteen years old"
big feet? Well. we do find big foot occa
sionally. A girl of twelve years came in here
yesterday, and bought pair OF SKIES and
they were a pretty close tit. But anything Of
that kind is rare. The large sizes are gen
orally sold in cheaper grades Of goods than any
We have in stock. 'Sixes-and-a-half and sev
ems are the largest sizes sold to white women
but cOlored women frequently wear Fights anG
mines This class of trade, though, is at the
cheaper stOres.'
All; take a seat. madam" Ito customer.
| ''Number p"
lone -and-a-half, buttons" the lady supplies
| as she puts her foot up and smiles.
1