The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-05-01
W0MEN'S FEET.
The Experiences OF Veteran Shoemaker on
the Subject.

tne SuDJect
"There is little doubt in nv mind.~
SAID Superior street shoe dealer YES
terday, that it is in the selection of
footgear that people are most fastid-
Ious. | am well aware that every one
who caters to the fancies of the COM
munity has hard row to hoe. but
when the average person sets out to
purchase shoes then comes the time
that is calculated to try mems souls.
1t requires hard effort for one to re-
press forcible expression of his feel
ings on some occasions, but by expe-
rience he learns to bear the torture in
silence In after years he is even en-
abled to hide his thoughts behind the
most winning of smiles. The man
who succeeds in the business is he who
succeeds in pleasing patron with the
first or second pair of shoes taken from
a box. Let him fail in this before he
has spread large array of footgear
before the prospective purchaser and
he will have almost endless trouble.
1t all lies in the ability to tell almost
at glance the quality of shoes de-
sired by customer.
dealing with women?' was asked.
"That is a subject that has been
much agitated, was the reply, ''and
in my opinion it is one that has also
been greatly exaggerated. Women
have strong natural desire, one that
almost appears to be Unborn, to have
as small and shapely feet as possible,
but except in a limited number of cases
the desire is kept within bounds. 1t
is not unusual for one to insist on
crowding No. 5 foot into a shoe two
sizes smaller, but the majority while
buying footwear have in view mainly
their personal comfort. There APP
pears also to be a growing tendency
il favor of comfortable shoes even at
the expense of looks"
Speaking of sizes, does the average
differ in various parts of the country?"
asked the reporter.
Il don't know just what foundation
it has or what Investigations have been
made into the subject" said the deal
err" ''but il is generally recognized
that the ladies of the east wear the
smallest shoes. 1t is said that the
average size of the shoes worn there
range from u to %. In Cleveland it
probably ranges from the latter figure
to 81, and many shoes half size lar
ger are disposed of here. Shoes get
larger as you progress to the west.
'.How about the Chicago girls?"
"The bellies of that city have to some
extent been slandered, but it is fact
that their pedal extremities are larger
than the ordinary. The sizes probably
run from numbers to 4, so you see
that although not as diminutive as
they might he the feet of the young
fades are not so large that they merit
the widespread attention bestowed on
them. AS between Chicago and ST.
Louis | think nature in this respect
distributed favors with an impartial
hand. An exception to all that has
been said, however, is the case of
Sandusky belle. While only II years
of age she wears number "a shoe.
Ohio thus does not take a position in
the background even in the case of
feet A New York boot and shoe
recently issued to the
trade circular of which the proper
tions of this young lady's feet formed
a prominent feature. After much
trouble the manufacturer secured a
piece of paper large enough to con-
tain an outline of the last from which
the shoes were made, and in addition
filled the publication with poetry APP
propriate to the subject. 1t attracted
great attention, and was much COM
mented upon at the time"
'.What is the average size of shoes
worn by men?" was next asked.
SIN Cleveland" responded the in
formant, Il think that it ranges from
numbers to s. 1t is of number z,
however, that we have the greatest
demand. Once in a while we have
call for numbers IL or II, but few men
require protectors of such ample
AS in the case of the
women the shoes worn by eastern men
are smaller than those of their brethren
10 the west. - CLeceIand Leader.