The St. Louis Republic., 1904-10-02
DONTS FOR
MOTHERS BUYING
CHILDREN'S SHOES
Tots Need Room for Feet to Grow
Dangers of Narrow Shoes
Soft Kid Namp Best.

! WRITTEN FOR TIE SUNDAY REPUBILc.
| II fond and doting mothers would spend
| naif as much serious thought on the IL
! tie tricks Of creeping standing and sitting
| OF their babies. and the proper fitting Of
i the little tots shoes. az they DO OF the
! purple and fine linen with which the IN
I sants are clothed. there would be fewer
| pedic ailments than there are to-day.
| There are at least three large shoe es-
| tab!iskrrent5 in this city that haze re-
| Gently !naugurated special departments COZ
| the purpose of remedyinG pedic defects IL
children. so IT will be seen that the dan
ger OF too tight or Ill fitting shoes Is not
altogether an imaginary 0ze.
Much OF the trouble could be averted II
mothers would only take 4 greater degrees
Of interest IN the subject This ts the stats-
ment OF an expert:
Mothers very often sacrifice the COM
fort, If not the health. OF their children,
10 their own vanity" he said.
They want to have their chiIdren's feet
too small. particularly if the child hap
pens to be girl They don't mind how
bread the shoe happens 20 be. but it must
be short
Tn fitting their children to shoes moth
erB should see to 1t that there is plenty Of
room for the little feet to spread and
grow. Too short shoe will plant the seeds
Of bunions and dozen other more or les.
distressing ailments.
IF shoe Is too narrow il presses the
foot together In an unnatural position. 50
that there Is a hoIio~ or the bottom
This forms a sort Of suction. so that
the heat, perspiration and dampness are
held there. all Of &hich weaken the instep
and cause muck discomfort Women often
complain OF their feet burning; it IS just
this difficulty which causes it. and the
chances are If they dressed their feet IN
broader shoes the trouble would vanish
Get a shoe with soft kid vaInp. or
upper. although not 80 much depends on
the upper as upon the sole. which should
be firm and strong. so as to support the
tender foot of child.
Just as soon as the baby begins TO walk
put on him a ven-mat,e. stiff-soled shoe.
long enough ard broad enough 20 give the
foot every chance of Development
"A button is better than n lace shoe. and
for this reason: A lace shoe should be
laced over every hour.
You know yourself that after wearing
lace SIlOS an Ecut II ptIOLAiro iD'7c e1A4'A a.
lows the foot to spread This Ia not good
for a child. A button boot holds the foot
firm and lends better support to the
ankle.
IN these days OF high heels mothers
sometimes want TO put them or their
daughters too young, but. according to an
orthopedic surgeon. up to the twelfth year
a child should wear nothing but spring
heel. After that heel Of from one-half
TO ffve-eightils OF an inch should be subst-
tuted In case the spring heel is worn too
long there is the possibility that the nat
ural arch OF the foot will h, lacking. which
is so essential to comfort, beauty and
grace of carriage
These go-carts IN which the chld's feet
cannot touch the foot support are exceed
ingly dangerous. giving rise to trouble
with the legs and often the spine Nature
built man as it intended he should BE- and
the moment that fashion or custom inter
feres there is trouble Fer instance. the
Body is so constructed that without mans
II is perfectly poised.
ANY position that changes the poise Of
the foot affects the knee, and that Affects
the hip. and so tho back So that often
have to treat the feet for pains in the
back. Man cannot interfere with nature
without suffering the consequences.
The dancing position which children
assume when learning. with heels together
and the toes turned far out is exceedingiy
bad. as It throws the axis OF the body in a
wrong position, and mothers should NOT
allow their little ones to stand IA this very
dangerous attitude"