The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-08
CHINESE SHOES.
The Comfort and HeaIthfuIness of
the Woven Straw Sandals.
From the washington Star.

AHe ComAoFt ana HealthtulnesS OH
the Woven Straw Sandals.
From the Washington Star.
81 may seem to be quarreling with my
bread and butter" said an uptown CHI
ropodist to one of his best customers the
other day, "but in my humble and some
what professional opinion, the most sensl-
bic of all men in the matter of footwear
is the Chinaman. Did you ever notice his
feet? 1 don't believe there is such
thing as a corn or a bunion in all China.
Chiropodists would starve to death there
so far as the requirements of the mascu-
line foot are concerned. Whatever the
deformities inflicted on the feet Of the wo-
men of China may be, the men certainly
enjoy sound and comfortable understand
ings. Look at the Chinese laundrymen
here in Washington; they stand at their
work eighteen hours a day. No class or
workmen 1 know of spend so many hours
on their feet as they do. Yet they never
break down there, and physically they
are a wonderfully healthy race.
Simple living and freedom from the
nervous pursuits of our civilization may
have something to do with it, but l at
tribute their exemption from foot weak
ness and disease to the kind of house shoes
so universally worn by them. 1 have
PAIR InaJ 1 nave worn LOT S6NeIdl yeas
and 1 wouldn't wear anything else for
genuine indoor comfort. They are woven
of straw and seaweed and soed with
horse hide There is a thick sole OF straw
above the leather. and through this ths
air can circulate freely, keeping the mus
Giles of the under part OF the foot always
cool. The laundrymen, you notice, are
usually barefoot which Is an added adj
vantage in the matter of healthfulness.
There is about as little material In tho
uppers as is consistent with the idea or
a Shoe and this Is just enough to Keep
the thing on the foot Nowhere does TINS
shoe pinch or in the least degree press
the foot.
''These are the indoor shoes of the Chi
naman. on the street here in the Unitc1
States nowadays he wears very commonly
the leather shoes or boots of American
manufacture. That is one of the ways
in which he is becoming Americanized.
But the outdoor cloth shoe of China Is
great deal worn also. That, like the moor
shoe, is very thick and soft in the soie,
and the foot Is never pinched or strained
by IT, Tie healthiest footgear ever known
probably was the sandal of the Greeks
1t had no upper, and as you Will see III
statuary the feet of men and women
were ideally perfect. All the sandal az
forded was a protection from the groul".
To him who wears sandals says tH9
Arabs it is as If the world were shod VIII
leather The Chinaman seems to follow
out this motto and his shoes are mercy
soles and nothing more. But the great Sc
cret of the excellence of his indoor sno9
Is the half-inch straw sole through WhlOh
the air circulates TO keep the foot cool'
II our fashions would bring the Chlhess
shoe into use | think IL would be very
rood thing for us-that is. speaking Droap-
ly. I don't thirk it would be 50 very GOO
for people in my line of business. But I'M
is another matter and the danger Is Ho'
so very near or great"