The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-10-19
SHOE HISTORY.
Fashions from tho Days Of Sparta
Down to the Present.

Tin ular Facts and superstftio1s Cen
nected with Their Mnnufseture-
Evolution of tho Modern
Foot Covering.
From the beginning the shoe has been
something more than . mere article OF
commerce 1t has been an index of the
taste of the time The antiquarian can
construct civilization from a given
shoe. as Cuvier built the animal from
the bone. The painter finds a delight
in the reproduction of leathery past
when cavaliers were booted and spurred-
The history Of the shoe is a magazine
Of singular facts and superstitions,
storehouse of the caprices of men and
women. AS in other articles OF dress
there has been a rotation in fashion,
from the days when the Egyptians wore
sandals of leather. palm leaves or papy-
rus, to the time when Queen Mary re-
stric ted the width of the toe to six
inches: from tho custom of the New
England sauaw to wear ''shoes of Nose
sklnnens. which is the principal leather
used to that purpose" to the summer
habit of white shoes that accompany q
gown and adorn q piazza The bare
footed LITTLE man." so lovingly de-
scribed by Whittier, can point to Soc
rates or Cato. in whose footsteps, the
Boston Journal says, he follows. Tho
stern Spartans were partial to red
shoes. The silken shoes Of the last GEN.
tury were adorned with buckles and
Of the French peasant, when 1t is in
tended for house use, is curiously orna-
mented In the olden time in the days
when Alcibiades was the talk of tho
Athenians as he sauntered In the streets,
shoes were named after him, as now an
actor inspires the fancy In cravat.
There was once famous swell in Eng
land, long before Beau Brummel. so
long ago that he ato his dinner about
ten o'clock In the morning and gave his
whole time to the extension of toe
points twisted like . rams horn
For women are not alone in their fas-
Adiousness and love of personal dis
play. Even the magistrates Of Rome
were particular in the appearance Of
their shod feet.
But there arc books without number
that deal with this subject in fantas-
teal or serious manner When popes
thought il worth while 70 thunder
against extravagAnoo In the device or
ornamentation of shoes, why should not
the lovers Of the curious trace the evo-
luton of the modern shoe from the
thong-tied sandal? The humblest
French woman may have simple
robe. but she is shod most carefully.
She knows the irresistible power of this
weapon; she shares this knowledge
with her sisters of all lands Sucking,
in England. has sung the praises of such
feet; Restif do la Bretonne has told in
famous words of tho mighty influence
of a well-made little boot, and Is there
not a disease, or rather q mania, for
stealing womcn's shoes known to the
Germans as ''Frauenschustehlmon
nie"-a formidable name that magnifies.
the guilt of the performance? Or why
should women be compelled to wear
shoes, or boots, or slippers that war
against her taste, simply to crafty the
advocates Of health? Would the feet of
antique goddesses. II they were turned
into human flesh. inoite tho poot or
haunt the lover7 The woman of to-day
does not envy her sister Of China: she
wishes becoming foot dress, just as
three hundred years ago Margery. the
good wife of Simon Eyre. exclaimed
with just pride: Roger, thou know'st
the size of my foot; as it's none the big
gest. 50. / thank God; It is handsome
enough; prithee, let me have q pair Of
shoes made. cork. good Roger, wooden
heel, too"
Fashions change for men and women.
The terms boot and shoe are used loose
~, although the boot proper goes above
the ankle Butchers, WellIngtons. high
lows are now unknown to Us. But the
glory of the American shoe remains, Q
fixed and settled quantity. Ovsr . CEN
fury ago it was reported IN the London
Chronicle that shoes for women were
made at Lynn exceeding In strength
and beauty any that were usually i'm
ported from London. 1t is true that
the American shoemaker has been
fortunate In his models, but the feet of
men have been as tenderly treated
Not without reason does the Boot and
Shoe club of this city hold days of jolli-
6cation; not without reason does the
of the craft exult in long
and illustrated supplement- The meth
Cd of manufacture has changed since
the days Of honest Thomas Decker, and
''rubbingpin, stopper, dresser. four
sorts of avis, two balls of wax, pairing
knife. hand and thumb feathers and
good ST. Hugh's bones" may in part
now have foreign sound; but now, as
In that iliustrious "Shoenaker's Holi-
day" that tpleased the queens most ex-
cenent majesty. shoemaloers are still
gentlemen of tho gentle craft. true
TroJans, courageous cordwainers, they
all kneel to the shrine of holy Saint
Hugh"
Perquisitss OF . Maid Of Honor.
The maids of honor In attendance
upon Queen Victoria receive an annual
allowance of twenty-five hundred dol