Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1889-02-14
SHOES AND THE WEARERS

'lf you should say that they are wear.
ing all kinds you would Just about
| strike it; but there is one thing certain,
much more sensible shoes are worn by
! women today than there were five years
ago. The best selling shoe we have in all
sections of the country, with one or two
exceptions, is the New York medium toe.
A shoe with this toe has a comfortable
and yet natty appearance, and is usually
fitted with an inch and an eighth heel,
which is comfortable height. Next in
popularity to the New York medium toe
is the New York opera toe, which is more
pointed at the end and has a heel one
quarter of an inch higher than the for
mer. Either of these styles of shoe may
or may not be adorned with the patent
leather tip which has been so popular for
the last year"
''Where are the largest shoes worn?'
Il suppose you will think | will say in
Chicago, but | shan't, for while in that
city the sizes range from one to seven, in
Boston there are very few No. Is sold,
the prevailing numbers ranging between
two and seven. Chicago women have
been much maligned, and it is fact that
we send more large sizes east than to
any other section of thbcountry. New
Workers wear much simmer shoes than
are worn in any other city, and while we
sell more medium sizes, threes and threeS
and half, for instance, right here some
women wear as high as fves. We sell
very few shoes over that size in New
York"
IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
"Where are the smallest shoes wornT'
"4ou will be surprised when l tell you
that for small feet the southern women
are in the van. They wear rather wider
shoes than their New York sisters, but
their feet are shorter. To sum up, I
think | can confidently assert that the
largest shoes are worn BY eastern women,
slimmest by New Workers and the widest
and smallest by the fair creatures who
make the south and west their homes"
care there particular styles manufact-
ured for different sections?
"There are. Here, for instance" and
the member opened black walnut show
case and took out what looked like mems
shoes, sis a sample of the ladies' wauk-
enphast shoe, which is now very popular
in that city of blue blood and beans
Boston.
"You will notice that they are nearly
as heavy, have as wide heels, and look
fully as useful as mems shoes. We sell
them nowhere else but in the east.
Again, here is a pair Of shoes which you
will observe have perfectly square toes
and narrow feet. These are what the
Philadelphia bellies dote upon, and you
couldn't see a pair in any other city to
save your neck. Funny, isn't it?'
Are women wearing heavier or
lighter shoes than formerly?'
"You would naturally suppose from
my previous statement that they are
wearing more sensible shoes, that I
would say heavier. regret to say that
l cannot. Fair woman has come to the
conclusion that distorted feet resulting
from too short and too tight shoes de-
tract from her appearance, and is there
fore wearing better shaped feet cover
mgs. You cannot persuade her to wear
anything clumsy looking. A thick soled
shoe is her abomination, and there are
more deaths resulting every year from
her determination to wear paper soled
shoes than from any other cause. At
least, that is my opinion. Why, just
look at 1t moment. The thickest shoe
we make has but three-eighths of an
inch sole-about the thickness a man
would wear on summer shoe-and yet
women will put on their thick boots as
and mud all day long in them. 1t makes
no difference if their feet are soaked
when they get home; they have worn
their thick boots,' and that settles it.
That's what l like about the eastern
women. They will wear comfortable
and suitable shoes every time, appear
ances or no appearances"
SIS the French high heel as much in
vogue as it waS?"
'For street wear, no. For the house
and carriage the most popular button
shoe is the New York opera toe, with the
high French heel This shoe naturally
is not adapted for much walking, and
the women have discovered this. For
low shoes the New York medium toe and
the opera with high and moderately high
French heels sell the best For a good
shoe s. to IS should be paid; for
fancy ball slippers of course fancy prices
are given"
IMPROVEMENT IN MEMS SHOES.
A wholesale manufacturer of mems
shoes said: ''It would be hard to say
that any particular style of shoe is being
worn now. We make and sell all styles.
1t can be said, though, that men are get
ting better shoes for their money today
than ever before. Not only better in
quality but in fit. The time has gone by
when a man expected to buy an un-
comfortable, ready made shoe and tor
ture himself by wearing it until it was
comparatively comfortable. Improved
methods of taking measurements and
improved machinery have accomplished
this, and man can today go into a
reputable ready made shoe store and get
q perfect fitting shoe without the slightest
trouble"
(Which section of the country de-
mands the largest shoes?"
''That would be difficult to say, but
the western man will wear a
little larger shoes than other men. AS q
'ule the western man, you know, is not
20 particular in his dress as an east
erner, and SO long as shoe is comfort
able that is about all he cares for
do you make particular styles for
litferent parts of the country?"
Il can't say that we do except for the
outh. Southerners wear more boots
han men in the north. In fact there
ire very few Of the finer grade of boots
worn up here. The southern man likes
,oots and he wears them with high heels
md is apt to get them too short for his
eet. In consequence the southern foot
s SnOrUer ana WlueT tIldn Otner IeeC, the
izes down there ranging from to 8,
While in the north they range in this
,art Of the country from to 10, and in
he west from to 12. The eastern men
ave the slimmest feet. A fact which IS
omewhat strange is that more heavy
hoes alo sold right here in the city than
q the country districts. New York
'ress.
in Boston made
hand