National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-02-06

prevailing fashion or style Tor tue WnOle
nation Each nationality composing the
state has its own peculiar style, and each
district has its own forms. These styles are
made TO order In every city, town, and VII
loge of the empire to suit the tastes OF the
respective inhabitants. III would require
study OF months and the pencil OF an artist
to give a true representation Of all the diff
fercnt styles Of custom-made boots and
Shoes
Consul General Williams, at Havana,
writes that the faults found with the Amer
lean shoes here are their stiffness In the
instcp aud across the soes, together with
their difference In shape from those worn
here, and their cTeaking noise when the
wearer walks, and Consul Pierce, at Glen
fucgos, tells our exporters how to remove
this objection, by writing that a favorite
shoe Of the gentlemen Is made Of goat. skin
leather, vamp all In one piece, elastic me-
dium quality, vamp and quarter.gOat sewed
strongly but neatly together Immediately
under the elastic, narrow shank, vamp aud
quarter lined with cloth machue.stltched
behind, and many OF the shoes worn by the
ladies are the iirst-class "bOta' with silk
elastic, fine glovc.kid, elegant heels not
much inclined to the front, deep narrow
shank, border OF silk lining at top, other.
wise lined with fine cloth, sole lined with
white sheep, and vamp neatly curved.
The consul adds at Is generally under
stood here that the Cuban foot is shaped
differently from the American, that 1t Is
less fiat, and with higher instcp, and Of
what Is called more "arlstuCratic turn
generally. think there Is some truth IN
this very prevalent opinion. At least, from
my own observation, | am satisfied the
shoes worn here will run smaller numbers
than in the United States, aud ! take for
granted that the sizes and dimensions !
have given are not inconsistent with this
observation. ! am Informed that a serious
objection to American shoes not specially
manufactured for the Cuban market is for
being too low In the instep"
Consul Williams. ut ROucn, writes that
''the French have peculiar tastes aud be.
lIcyc that their shoes are inimitabc In ina
terial, workmanship, and above all IN style.
Take for instance, their ladies' dress slip
per, the distinguishing features Of which
are the pointed toe and high heel, slOpng
from the place where the heel belongs to
the center Of the foot. This peculiar struc-
ture Is extended to their walking shoes, and
1t is a sad fact that they have been sent in
countless numbers to America and other
countries, and have been readily sold, when
to the casual observer they would simply
appear 10 be refined instruments OF torture.
"Woodcn shoes and wooden sOles, card
board and straw soles, with pruuella and
cloth uppcrs. are chcaply manufactured,
and find favor among the working classes
Aud Consul Mason, at Marseillcs, says
that the show windows Of that city are
filled with forty different styles of shoes
bearing the uniform price Of S1.73 per pair.
"The soles of these shoes are OF soft,
spongy, yellowish leather, often underlaid
with paper, the seam connecting the top
with the vamn soon gives way, and In wet
weather the counter breaks down aud per.
mits the heel to bulge beyond the soles.
These goods are the product of hand-labor
in hundreds Of small shops and factories
throughout this district, aud they form the
staple footwear of the people, who, con
sentative and severely frugal In all things,
cannot sec why they should pay from % TO
30 francs for one pair Of good shoes when
the same sum will purchase three pairs OF
new ones. In this, as In other articles of
dress and luxury among the French work
ing people, it is the new thing which
counts
Consul Potter, at Crcfeld, writes that
"the general objection in this locality to
American boots and shoes Is, that the sizes
and shapes are mot adapted to the North
German foot aud that the styles are often
sivc to popular tastes here. As the feet Of
the people of different natOnalities have
national charact cristics as to form, the size
and shape of the boots and shoes that
would In q general way be regarded as
fits and be comfortable on the feet Of the
people Of ono nation, would be misilts and
uncomfortable on the feet OF the people of
another nation. The American exporter Of
boots and shoes should, to be successful,
have these facts in mind, and post himself
thoroughly as to the peculiar form and
sizes wanted before he sends goods 10 for
cign markets. The foot of native OF
North Germany, for instance, is not so
broad and Is somewhat higher than the foot
Of Il native of South Germany. This Is
especially true Of the feet Of working.
women and female servants. In South
Germany 1t is the universal custom Of
females Of the industrial classes to carry
heavy burdens upon their heads. Perhaps
this custom may have something TO do with
broadening and liattening the foot to a con
ccivable extent Certain 1t is that the feet
Of the working classes, especially Of the
farming class, who are obliged to do much
lifting and carry burdens, are broader and
ilattcr than those of the nOn-labOring
classes. An invoice of boots and shoes that
would he marketable IN Wurtemberg would
he unmarketable in Prussia
The consul at leipsic writes us us follows
ain trying to secure facts for this report an
almost insurmOuntable obstacle has been in
the way, and IL appeared to me in the form
of the Saxon shoemaker, who plants him
self firmly on the principle that statistical
communications undermine a good mo-
nopoly, and nothing In the shape of human
persuasion Is potent to move him one peg
from his position. 4 stranger finds it diff
fCult to secure'admittance to shoe factory,
and such Is especially the case where 1t Is
known that he Is an American who Is seek
| ing information, | submitted few qucs-
| tions in writing to boot and shoe manu-
| faCturer, questions such as-TO what extent
| is the system of factory shOemaking carried
| on in SaXony? Are machines used, aud
NtI,. lng tnfY al,
| these questions for about one week, he re
turned them accompanied by the following
| note:
| HoNonEp SIR AFTER having read again and
| again your questions | lind that II would not
| be proper for n German shoemaker to answer
| them. If can be of service to you on more
| neutral grounds | will be pleased to aCcOmmo
| date you!
| ~ turned to other sources for my facts
convinced that the Saxon shoemaker in
| tends to boot and shoe his own country
men, and that II will require very clever
rival to get the better Of the enterprising
Tcuton in his efforts to protect the interest,
he has In the soles of his compatrlots.
"The German tanner is ssmore liberal witt
his statistics. While the Saxon shoemaker
rCCeues within himself and takes all III
knows about the Saxon system of shoemak
ing with him, the Saxon tanner falls into
liberal talk about skins and bark, and vat
and extracts, as easily as good old Sila
Wegg, with his peg leg, was in the habit o
falling into poetry.
at is generally acknowledged that The
American shOemakcrs are the best in the
world, but the trouble is, the world want
cheap goods, and that desire is SO strong
that when much badness comes mingled
with the cheapness, the first quality Is only
thought Of until 1t is too late.
"But IN all parts OF the globe there is
small aud very respectable element who
wise through observation and experience
believe, and teach their children to believe
that good quality IN things as well as char
acier wears longer and costs less than
medium or bad quality has done since tn,
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