St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-28
The Tribulations of Clerk in q Store
Where They Sell Fine
Footwear.
The Ladies who Ask for Threes and Gan
Wear Nothing Smaller
Than Elves.
Ladies Who Insist on Seeing the
Whole Stock and Promise to
Call Again.
How Feet Develop in Size as Their
Owners Follow the Star of
Empire.

nOieS, ana the man VINO makes SUCCESS DIS
a retail salesman requires the wisdom OF
Solomon, the patience of Job and the affa-
bility of Mark Twain. The truth OF this
was firmly impressed ON the mind OF a
GLOBE reporter one evening last week
when he stepped into the leading shoe store
in st. Paul to invest in pair OF laces. AS
the clerk handed the reporter the parcel he
remarked, on the half quiet, "Wait and
see me sell pair of shoes to this lady COM
ing in the door," The lady in question
stepped up to the now smiling clerk and
said, II want to get nice, neat pair OF
boots, No. 81, A." The clerk hustled
around. got down some ten different kinds,
out of which the lady selected pair. She
tried them on, but they were too small.
Finally pair was found to tit and the
customer went out with her purchase.
Ibid you hear that lady ask for No. 81,
A9" asked the clerk. The reporter nod
ded atfirmatively. "Well," continued the
clerk, 81 sold her No. 4, d, which was a
one-half size longer and three sizes wider
than she asked for. Now that thing hap
pens four times out of every five and-ex-
cuse me a minute" Another customer
came in. The orthodox question was asked,
''What size do you wear?" ''Weu. L
usually take fives, but want pair for
house wear, so I guess I'll get pair OF
SKIES" In due time the lady was served
and the clerk returned to the much amused
reporter. The gentleman then proceeded to
throw some light on the boot and shoe
business generally.
THE DEMAND FOR SHOES
of about the same size both in ladies and
gentlemen's wear is so even that fair
average is struck in purchasing shoes, and
stocks are laid in principally in the size
known to be popular. There is vast dis
parity, however, in the extremes sold, and
the difference between the smallest and the
largest compares favorably with the differ
ence between brick and the poop
deck of Lake Superior wood boat.
The'most popular sizes in ladies' wear run
from Nos. AZ to 619, while there is deli
cate trade which takes fran Nos. ~ to
3. Sometimes they are smaller than this.
On the other hand as high as No. is sold.
AS an example of the extremes a we'll
known Wabasha street dealer said: Last
week sold lady pair of ~, which is
very small, while few days later l sold
another lady pair of No. s E E, which
is extraordinarily large" In gentlemen's
wear the average sizes called for are Nos. 8
and 9. These, too, vary in the extreme,
going from to II, III or even II. This
represents the city trade. The country
is much different.
THE SHOES WORN
are larger, which is accounted for by the
laxity allowed country children and the alb
sence of unnecessary pride in small feet.
The average demand in ladies' wear is for
sizes and 81, and gentlemen SO to 81.
The demand for larger sizes of course in
creases as the purchasers live nearer Da-
kota. Then, according to the lege nd, lasts
used in many cases are rough hewn from
the trunks of trees.
There has been great change of late
years in the quality OF shoes most in de-
mand Fortunately, not in ST. Paul, but
in nearly every city in the East and
West there was a demand for cheap
stock and the average popular price was at
least 50 less than at the present time. To
day the case is different. While the old
demand for cheap goods remains to GER
tain extent, much larger demand has
sprung up for the better class of goods and
it is now running in the line of fine trade.
The better class Of domestic goods is also
taking the place Of imported goods, because,
while home manufactures keep up with the
style o the day, they give much satisfac-
ton. Another impetus to home manufac-
tured goods is the guarantee-indirect OF
course-for the goods purchased. II
the foreign trade this does not
exist. Merchants make their purchases
and meet their bills before the goods are
shipped, leaving no meanslof redress, pro
viding the goods do not prove satisfactory
The domestic goods are also cheaper thar
imported, although being cOmparativel!
higher than those formerly made. But thu
average price of boots sold to-day, according
to the estimate of the leading st. Paul firm
is SIS ladies, and $3.50 for gentlemen. Thu
prices range from SO to the finely imported
which come at S12 and sometimes higher.
THE STYLES OF SHOES,
like every other article of dress, are coli
stantly changing. Most of the styles worr
two years ago are no longer offered for sale
Among the few which people cling to none
is held more tenaciously than the French
heeled boots. those arrangements with the
ungainly heels on the center of the boot
They are said to be the most injurious style
ever worn, but that makes no difference, il
seems, since the wearer is convinced thai
they make the feet look smaller, and that,
on general principles, they are pleasing tC
the eye. The demand for this style is con
fined principally to working girls and hote
girls. The most popular shoe, both
in ladies' land gentlemen's wear, is
the Waulkenphast shoe. These shoes have
gained great popularity in the East. and are
beginning to be worn considerably in the
West at the present time. The boot is
made exactly the shape of the foot although
few people will believe their feet are as
crooked as the boots appear until they have
marked the outline on a sheet of paper.
They are got up for comfort, with low,
broad heels, wide balls and plenty of width
for the foot and for each toe on the foot.
They are, therefore, found to give good
satisfaction. The popularity Of this shoe
is one example where fashion is not con-
formable to good looks.
The most marked peculiarly, and the one
encountered everywhere by gentlemen EN-
gagged in the business is the difficulty in
selling goods to tit the feet and at the same
time suit the taste. The former is COM
paratively easy matter but the combination
decidedly hard. The difficulty arises al
most exclusively with lady customers. Cen
tlemen usually know about the size which
they require and buy it, but, as before
stated, in four times out of five a lady
wants shoe from half to three sizes
smaller than her foot, and thereimcomes
the difficulty. The result of this is that a
man never knows when his work is done,
as changes are always in order
Nest of the time Monday is consumed in
changing the misfit shoes bought on the
previous Saturday Il
But, speaking more particularly of the
mania for buying shoes smaller than nature
intended should be worn. one dealer said:
Sometimes lady comes in and inquiries
for a very fine shoe. We show her some
ordinary stock, 81 or IS pair, and when
told the price you will see her put on look
of establishment and likely say, ''Why, ]
never paid more than So for pair in my
life" If a lady comes in and asks for some
thing ordinary, not very fine, we usually
show good stock, and will probably sell 8
SO shoe. But the worst of it is, when q