The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-04-10
new THrres m SHOES.
what Maids ana IIatrOns should seIee
In Foot Wear.


what Maids and BIAtrons should Belee
In Foot Wear.
Chicago Tribune: Women are grow
ing sensible. SO say Chicago shoe
makers And as proof they allege
that women no longer insist on wearing
shoes two sizes too small for their feet.
In this much at least women are get
ting more practical Paper soles at the
present day no longer have the right Of
way In the matter Of footwear.
cat this season Of the year ten years
ago. said a shoe dealer yesterday, I'VE
sold ten pairs Of turned Boles to one of
hand welt Now the tables are turned,
and we are selling the thlcS-soled, COM
Portable hand welt almost exclusively
for street use.
Just what has brought about the
change he failed to tell. But e. the
combined influence Of fathers, brothers
and doctors avalled not In the past Il
Is safe to assume that woman heFself
has taken the sudden whim. Possibly.
too, the bicycle and the general tend
ency to athletic sports have had their
share in the change.
In the matter OF heels, too, the TWEEN
practical than her ancestors. Novel;
ties in the styles worn by colonial
DANES are kept on the top shelves OF a
few of the big shops, but they are
never taken uown except for a bal
poudre or for some chance theatrical
customer. The heels TO these ancient
modes, some OF them reach the height
Of six inches, are usually painted Of a
different color from the shoe proper.
Marie Antolnette" and queen Vic
toria coronation slippers" are shown
with bright red or gold heels, and have
immense funny fosettes on the toe.
These Of course were for full dress oc-
caslons, but the dress shoe Of to-day
presents no such extravagant proper
tions. The modified Louis XIV. heel ls
the highest heel for the dress shoe Of
the present time.
Woman is crawling out Of her abb
surditIes as fast as she can. but IN the
matter of shoes one OF the most griev-
Gus shortcomings remains TO be con-
quered. II she consents to be fitted In q
pair OF No. IS where she formerly wore
No. IS. she makes up for It in the matter
Of width. That Is the way she eYens
things up and gets her own consent to
be fitted with larger size.
stand here at my window, said 8
shoemaker who builds shoes for the
400" land look at the women walking
with their feet all stopped over on the
sidewalk" The window through which
the view could be had was one Of the
half-basement affairs which bring the
feet OF the passers-by almost on line
with the range Of vision. Sure enough
what he said was fact Almost one
third the width OF every woman's foot
was looping over the sole Of her shoe.
women think narrow shoe makes
their feet look small" went on the iTate
shoemaker. "But It does not. When
the shoe is new the foot Is squeezed In
to a round ball that makes II look thick
and chubby. And when the shoe
stretches out, which 1t will, the foot
looks monstroslty,"
He then brought forth his stock Of
styles to show what his customers had
been educated up" to. He also brought
out his book showing the footprints Of
Chicago matrnns and maids, There
were long slim feet among them and
beautifully shaped. One woman whose
name is widely known left a very tiny
track for 70 large woman.
The prices ranged from 81 to SIS per
pair, with $l2 as the average. There
were no extremely narrow toes among
these shoes. not even the patent leath-
ers or fine dress kids. The patent
feathers were for the most part plain
with cloth tops. Occasionally fancy
tip was added. For street the tans are
largely superseded this year by rich
shade OF brown. Dress shoes are but
toned. while for the street lace shoes
have exclusive sway.
In ready made shoes there Is a greater
preponderance Of thin soles and marrow
toes. The shoes in the ready made
shops. however. have a certain style
about them the made to order kind do
not possess. But for wear and comfort
the latter undoubtedly have the advan-
-taEe.