Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1891-12-16
DIAGNOSING LADIES' FEET.

Shoes or foot coverings of some sort
have been and will continue to be worn
as long as there is any one left to wear
them, but fashion is making such q
change in the styles that the shoe of
the past, and the not very long past,
either, and that of the present are
, widely dlssimilar, indeed. In the days
, Of old all shoes were made for service.
Care was taken in selecting the stock,
the work was all performed by hand,
and the result was shoe that had
| some wear in it. In these days of
cheap, ready made shoes, a great
change is noticed, especially in ladies'
stoes. Instead of being made exclu-
sively for service, they are made for
show, and that is about all there is to
some Of them.
A Times-Star reporter called yester-
! day at the shop of veteran shoe
maker, and CLEANED some information
on the subject Of shoemaking in its
many forms.
"Isn't there even a great difference
in the style Of shoe of to-day and that
of say fifteen or twenty years ago?"
was one of tho questions put by the
reporter.
"There's where you make a mis-
take," was the response. "There are
only five kinds Of ladies' shoes, the
button, front lace, side lace, tie and
slipper. The styles, as you call them,
are only different trimmings. There is
a growing tendency for trimmed shoes,
and some very fancy designs are got
ten up. One of the tolerably late shoes
is the undressed kid, and it will prob
ably be very much worn. The mate
rial is soft and pliable, cool, and is of
about the same cost as dressed kid, Of
which most of the ladies' shoes arc
now made"
"What is the difference in effect be-
tween a ready-made shoe and one that
Is made to order, on the foot, with
| reference to corns and bunions?" was
asked.
CAN the difference in the world. In
II aking a ready-made shoe thousands
of pairs are turned from one style of
last, and it is safe to say that on an
average not one foot in hundred will
exactly conform to the dimensions of
that last. Now, imagine the other
ninety-nine pairs of feet thrust into
shoes that are not their exact shape.
They are wider here, smaller there,
the instep is too high or too low and
many other kindred faults. This
squeezing and COMPRISING of feet is
going TO injure them in some way and
the most common form it appears in is
in the shape of corns and bunions.
Hence corn doctors are multiplying.
''It is different with shoe made by
measure. The customer comes in, sits
in chair and removes her shoe. The
first thing she is ordered to do is to
place her foot on the leaf of the order
book. Then we trace the outline of the
foot as it appears in Its natural state
with the weight of the body on it.
| Then the usual measurements of tie
foot are taken and we are ready TO
prepare the last. A man to measure
| properly should be able to diagnose
customer. For instance, a person with
a fie hy foot can stand tight shoe,
whereas the thin, nervous foot can
not stand one with comfort. AL these
little things count in making ease and
comfort. When the last is prepared it
will be the exact shape and size of the
customers foot. To fit this we cut our
material and the result is that when
the shoe is completed it is exactly all
that shoe is intended to be.
The reporter was shown a number
of lasts, each of which was marked
with some lady's name. After one
measurement shoes can be made in any
style on the same last and perfect fit
will be secured. One last was shown
the reporter which the shoemaker had
used in making a lady's shoes for
twenty years. The only alteration
! made on ii in all that time was the
tacking ON of piece of leather on the
instep to make it higher. From this il
would seem that the female instep i'm
proves with age. The cost of custom
shoe, of course, is q great deal more
than the ready made shoe, inasmuch as
the material for one pair costs the SINAI.
dealer almost as much as 9 finished
ready mais psir.-Cincinnati Times
Star.