The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-07-21
SANDALS FOR CHILDREN.
Present Fad i'm acknowledgements
Children Go B~arefooted.

London Express.
The recent adoption by a number of Well
known London society people OF wnat Is
known as the barefoot fadV for their
children is forming the subject. OF mucn
comment in many quarters, ana the Laot
induced a rePresentau NE ;nno 1ne
Il am glad 10 see well-uressed cnliuTeh
occasionally walking about our fashionable
squares bare-iegged and bare-footea save
for a slight sandal" said a well-known
West Emo physician, when questioned on
the subject.
Few people seem 10 be aware what an
influence the feet have on the health OF
people, and OF children especially.
Look at the thing from the sanitary
stiiI. or should not be If they are healthy:
and in this not weather, and the hotter
that Will be coming, the feet will be the
part OF the anatomy most likely TO be
affected.
Now, with sandals the feet are never
in a damp state, but are constantly Kept
dry, owing 10 the action OF the atmos-
and other causes is avoided, 10 say noth-
ing OF rheumatism, for you must know that
with the ordinary boot and stocking II Is
issuing from the pores of the skin to evap-
crate. but, on the contrary, the ankle and
foot are kept in d more or less constant
state OF dampness during action in hot
weather, with the result that rheumatism
is often contracted, and so badly that even
strong embrocations seem powerless TO re-
lieve it.
After all, we have never improved on
the Greek and Roman footgear, though /
am not such a dreamer or dreams as 10
suppose for a moment that our fashionable
women will ever become sensible enough
to take TO sandals, even for the seaside.
They are too vain, and their feet are,
as a rule. not pretty enough to bear ex-
posure. Besides, even If they were so In,
clined, bootmakers and the hosiers would
hardly encourage them in their ideas. as II
would bode i'll to their prosperity.
u / do irmly believe that the fashion
OF letting children run about in sandals
during the summer months, now that ii has
al last got a start, will so on steadily
growing in favor until ii becomes quite
general, and l am heartily glad to think OF
Ii, for IL the feet of our children are al
lowed to develop in a natural and sensible
way we shall have more men and women
who can walk gracefully and we'll, instead
of the crippled beings one comes across al
most at every ~turn-people who walk timid-
~ along owing to corns, bunions or tender
feet, which are, in nine cases out OF ten,
the result of clumsy. ill fitting or tight
boots.
You probably do not realize that scarce
ly / per cent. of the people you pass in the
street have perfect feet; assure you;
the average civilized human beings anat-
omy than the feet. /, for one. look upon
this barefoot fad, as il is termed, as preg-
nant of great possibilities, so far as the fu-
ture generations are concerned, and l trust
that it will continue to grow in favor"
Another physician who was interviewed.
OHCNSi bOOh III oPPOSiNN az 4N
ton.
81 will not utterly condemn the idea" he
said. but I would at least point out that
the notion has its drawbacks as well as Its
advantages. You must bear in mind that
the foot of the well-bred child Is a very
tender thing, and no amount OF running
wild will ever make the cuticle as hard as
that of the savage child. for instance.
Il think. therefore, that the risks run of
getting dirt which may be poisonous into
scratches on the feet, owing TO their being
partially exposed, or the danger of getting
pins or pin tacks into the feet-tor there is
no house in the kingdom where stray pins
or pin tacks will not get scattered among
the carpets-are greater than the thing Is
worth, for poisoned blood is a thing which
can never be properly cured.
Besides, what is the good of IL IN the
long run, for sooner or later these sandaled
children will take to wearing the ordinary
f~ootgear of conventionality. when the i'll
effects. if any, Will be exaggerated, for they
will begin wearing boots and socks and
stockings at an age when il is not SO easy
for the body TO adopt new methods of cloth
ing. more especially on account of their
having known the greater freedom of SAN
dals.
THAT is only one phase OF the question,
but there are others that could be men
toned. and. on the whole. / do not think
the sandal idea will be productive of much
good. while it might be fruitful of some
, harm"