The herald., 1897-07-11
The Smart Summer Girl
and Her Needs
SIXTEEN PAIRS OF SHOES
THE LEAST THAT SHE CAN GET
ON WITH
For Wheeling, Golfing, Mountains
eering, Tennis, Tramping, Rid
ing, Dancing and Lounging

NEWPORT, July 9-There never was
the time when the summer girl had to
have so much footgear as now, and this
seemingly small item in her outfit
amounts to a. serious matter, almost as
serious as the gown or hat question.
There are just sixteen styles of shoes
which she should have, and If she ID
ambitious to exhibit different varieties
of each style, the total could easily be
swelled to sixty. Now, sixteen pairs OF
shoes of the kind fancied by the smart
girl of '97 cost a pile of money, at least
$3.50. Just what sixty pairs cost on the
same basis the mathematically inclined
can easily figure to their own eatisfac-
ton. 1t is something over $500, and this
for summer shoes for a single summer
girl almost seems preposterous.
Athletics are at the bottom Of the abb
normal increase in footgear. OF course
the summer girl rides a wheel, golfs,
plays at tennis, climbs mountains and
takes long walking jaunts and each Of
these diversions requires short skirt
and consequent exposure Of the foot
This means that the pedal extremities
w
dressed as the rest of the person.
If girl has a pretty foot. and that
foot is going to be seen by the multitude,
she is bound to make it as attractive az
possible, whereas the girl with the
doubtful foot is equally earnest about
making it as presentable as fashion will
permit. Short skirts are, indeed. boon
to the shoe men and curse to the mill
liners, for it is positive fact that more
attention is given by the average SER
want girl today to shoes than to hats
or bonnets.
Just why a girl needs at least sixteen
or eighteen pairs of shoes can be easily
told. In the first place, when she gets
up in the morning she, of course, thrustS
her feet in her bathing slippers prepar-
atory to her morning bath. When her
morning toilet is completed and she V
ready to go down to breakfast she dis
cards the bathing slippers of quilted
satin, with the round toe and fiat heel,
and dons her breakfast slippers. 1t would
never do to wear the bathing slippers in
public, as they make the foot appear
dreadfully large, as they are either lined
with ederdown or made entirely Of the
soft and fluffy Angora wool. The break
fast slipper is a perfectly plain affair,
with a low heel and round toe, made Of
Turkish morocco or tan in various
shades.
An hour after breakfast it Is time to
think of the mornings fun. 1t may
be brisk run awheel. a visit to the golf
links, a horseback ride, a long walk,
or yachting trip, any one of which re-
quires a special kind Of footgear. For
the bicycle there are three styles, and
the one that has suddenly gained the
most popularity is the low shoe, fash
ioned somewhat like the ordinary Ok
ford tie, but fastened with laces. With
this style of footgear the wearer does
not use leggings or covering Of any
kind for the leg. At first the wearers
of the low shoe used thick stockings,
but these have been found to be too
warm, so those of Isle thread are SUBJ
stituted. Silk bicycle stockings have
not yet appeared, but these cannot be
far off, as the march Of progress is
steadily in the line Of comfort and show.
The reason of the downfall of the knee
high bicycle shoe is that experience has
taught the best woman riders that ab~
solute freedom of the ankle is neces-
sary on long rides. With high shoes this
is impossible. They bind the foot in q
stiff position and do not give all the
little muscles of the foot and leg chancs
to bear a share of the eXertion. Then,
again, they are too hot for warm wealth.
er use. The claim that low shoes are
immodest is speedily dissipated by tho
self-evident fact that the tight fitting
high shoes outline the form of the leg
just as clearly as stockings, and the
exposure in the one case is no greater
than in the other
Notwithstanding the sensible argu-
ments which recommend the low shoe,
there are many who have not the cour-
age to adopt it, and these adhere to the
high boot. The newest in these is made
of various colored French kid, to match
the costume, and instead of being laced
it is buttoned to within five inches of the
cuff top, which fastenS with two small
buckles. The laced boots fit more snug
ly and give the ankle prettier turn,
and for this reason they are bound to
always enjoy a certain degree of popu-
larity, but the buttoned affair gives
more freedom, hence its advent. These
boots are cut very high to catch right
in under the knee, and fit snugly on. both
foot and leg.
Then there are tennis shoes and yacht
ing shoes, both of canvas. with rubber
soles, to prevent slipping on velvety
grass or fitting decks Slippers for aft
ernon wear, when f1nery is dorned, are
in innumerable dainty styles and colors.
and the same can be said of the footgear
for evening wear for dances and similar
functions Thus it can be seen that to
clothe the foot correctly is something
of a task recurring more or less knOWl.
edge and heap of money.
CELINE SAVAGE.
Ia.a 70 ME- tnla Aha n,.aac