The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-07-26
MEN AND THEIR FEET.
Some Hints About Boots and Shoes and
Waking.

A man who dresses well will never wear
boots that turn NJ at the toes. The flat sole
is more comfortable and il looks better.
And yet it is common thing to see man
who might pass muster from his ankle to
the crown of his hat spoil his personal ap-
pearance by wearing boots the soles of
which remind one OF n rocking-horse, with
the toes pointing skyward. Aud this is be-
cause the average man, when he stands be-
fore 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 ne
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 10 believe that that was just what
nature intended one should do. Indeed,
most men use the heel too much in walking
They make 1t act as a 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 locomotion.
The Indian in his plable 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 barefo0ted farmers boy
trudges on the highway. And one of the
is the attempt to walk too erect-soldier-
fashion, as it were. The result is that ill.,
stead of leaning slightly-very slightly
forward, as nature intended, some men
walk as II they had ramrod running
through them from the crown of their heads
to the soles of their boots But no man ever
yet walked gracefully who walked in this
fashion.
1t may do very well for the parade ground.
but it is too artificial to be graceful, Ii
"a ynllypr tnO far haai- an hic bao
instead of forward on the fiat of his foot, as
nature intended. And man can walk with
his "chest expanded and his shoulders
thrown back" and lean forward and bring
the same time. The "Grecian bend" of
twenty-five years ago was but an exagger-
ated form Of what graceful walking should
be.
or course it was an aosurdity, 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 posi-
ton 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 per-
ception.
1t is not necessary to be ga dude" to de-
sire TO look presentable and to have
shapely limbs aud feet. Aud with a little
practice any one can make his feet look
smaller than they are. 1t is simply cues
ton OF angles. If yon watch man walk
ing before you In the streets, and if he
turns out his toes al an angle of 40 degrees,
that mans feet will look larger than il he
turned out his toes at the lesser angle, or if.
better still, he kept his toes pointed straight
in the direction in which he is going. Turn
ing the toes in, or pigeon-toe- walking, has
for some time been fashionable in England,
but that is fashion that is better noticed
in the breach than in the observance.
10 keep the feet straight In the direction
you are going of course requires practice,
and for time vigilance, but after few
weeks the feet naturally fall into line. and
the effect is in all cases beneficial to the APP
pearance of the man. And any one who
does this and avoids the ridiculously pointed
toes and gets his footwear made in conform
ity with the shape of his foot will make his
feet look smaller than they are.-Philadel-
phia Item