Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-07-01
MEN AND THEIR FEET.
Some Hints About Boots and Shoes
and Walking.

and walking.
A man who dresses well will never wear
boots that turn up at the toes. The fat
sole Is more comfortable and 1t looks bet
ter. And yet 1t Is a common thing to see
a man who might pass muster from his
ankle to the crown OF his hat spoil his
personal appearance by wearing boots
the soles OF which remind one Of q rock
ing-horse with the toes pointing skyward.
And this Is because the average man,
when he stands before a looking glass,
only sees the reflection Of the upper part
OF his body. When he looks at his boots
he looks downward, while to see them as
they appear on his feet he should look at
them sideways. Nature never intended
that man should walk altogether on his
heels, and yet the way some boots are
made and worn would lead one to believe
that that was just what nature intended
one should do. Indeed. most men use the
heel too much in walking. They make
it act as pivot for the rest Of the
foot, and walk as if they were hung
on hinges. But the heel and the ball Of
the foot should touch the ground nearly
at the same time. This is not meant in the
ballet sense Of the term, but in the natural
order Of the locomotion. The Indian in
his pliable moccasin puts his foot on the
grass as nearly as possible in the same
manner as the bather walks on the shore
or as the barefooted farmers boy trudges
on the highway. And one Of the causes of
this walking too much on the heel is the
attempt to walk too erect, soldier fashion
as it were. The result is that instead OF
leaning slightly, very slightly, forward, as
nature intended, some men walk as if they
had ramrod running through them
from the crown Of their head to the
soles Of their boots. But no man ever yet
walked gracefully who walked in this
fashion 1t may do very we'll for the parade
ground, but 1t Is to artificial to be graceful
1t throws the walker too far back on
his heel, instead of forward on the fiat OF
his foot, as nature intended. And man
can walk with his 9" chest expanded and
his shoulders thrown back" and lean
naturally forward and bring his foot fair
and square on the ground at the same
time. The "Grecian bend " of twenty-five
years ago was but an exaggerated form of
what graceful walking should be. OF
course it was an absurdity, but it was a
protest against the slovenliness of the
walkers Of that day. 1t pointed out the
fact that should be evident to all that the
position of the body should be in harmony
with the direction in which the walker is
going. And to do this all that is wanted
are boots with fiat soles and men with
common perception.
1t is not necessary to be ga dude" to de-
sire to look presentable and to have shape
| ly limbs and feet. And with little prac
tice any one can make his feet look small.
| er than they are. It Is simply question
OF angles. If you watch a man walking
before you in the street, and if he turns
out his toes at an angle of forty-tive de-
grees that mans feet will look much larg-
| er If he turned out his toes at lesser an
| gle. or if, better still, he kept his toes
pointed straight in the direction which he
| is going. Turning the toes in, or pigeon
| toe walking, has for some time been fash
| ionable in England, but that is a fashion
| that is better noticed in the breach than
| in the observance
To keep the feet straight in the direc.
rection you are going of course requires
| practice, and for time vigilance, but af
ter few weeks the feet naturally fall int
line, and the effect is in all cases benefi
| cial to the appearance of the man. Anc
any one who does this and avoids the ri
| diculously-pointed toes and gets his foot
wear made in conformity with the shape
| of his foot will make his feet look smaller
than they are.-N. Y. Recorder.