River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-01-12
FEET FORCED INTO SHOES.
Fashion Everything and Comfort and
Health Sacrificed in Modern
Footwear.


Quite an agitation has been devei-
oped lately in the cause of proper foot
coverings. There is no doubt that
poorly fitted shoes cause i'll health,
bad temper and a consequent train of
evils, from loss of love and friendship
to failures in business. No one with
feet that ache is tempted to walk
much for exercise, and so the fresh
air cure is not appreciated, nor can
anyone with corns and bunions appear
normal as regards temper and DISPOSE
ton.
In spite of all these facts, which any
person of average intelligence knows
to be true, until recently little atten-
ton has been paid to the fit of shoes
People have purchased shoes of large
manufactures that make all their
shoes on one last, irrespective of any
idiosyncrasy different feet may pos
sess, and men are beginning to suffer
from this folly as well women.
So great has been the mistake of at
tempting to crowd feet in too small
and poorly fitted shoes that there are
now men who follow the profession of
making shoes for tender feet, and the
amount of cork and various other
things involved in the making makes
This a profession by itself. Men ana
women alike suffer from this fault OF
poorly fitted shoes, but women are the
worst offenders.
The average woman would be
ashamed to show her foot to the world
Sc I'D
torted by badly fitted shoes and high
heels. The only remedy for this is
rightly constructed shoe, built on sci
entific lines. Beauty in hand or foot
comes from symmetry and use. No
hand that does not show purpose in its
expression is beautiful, no matter how
faultlessly formed nor is any foot
beautiful, though free from disfgure-
ments, that does not suggest motion,
that intelligent, strong, flexible i'm
pulse which a finely poised body seems
TO radiate.
This is to be seen in the foot of a
small child before his feet are cramped
into shoes that are made to cramp any
foot, in the negroes of those islands
that our so-called civilization has not
reached, and in the dancing girls Of
eastern countries.
1t is not to- be seen in the foot of
civilization. From infancy up the foot
Is cramped, and hence robbed of free
dom and calloused in parts. The foot
is to- be admired as much as any part
of the body. Without it little can be
accomplished in this world. Poets do
not sing of it, but one artist novelist
embodied it in prose, and it is worthy
of respect 1t does not get. Few
actresses would be willing to show
their feet on the stage simply because
they are misshapen from abuse
There is no doubt that the deter
mination of perfect shoe is impor-
tant. An analysis of points that con-
Germ rightly constructed shoe was
recently submitted to commission to-
decide. The subject was arranged un-
der sole, toe, heel, instep, strings and
uppers. 1t was decided that the sole
should be heavy enough to prevent
stones or Irregularities in the path
from hurting the feet and should ex-
| tend on either side. The toe should
be broad enough to leave the foot alb
solutely unhampered, and the heel
should not be more than one inch
high. The instep should be laced as
in the army, diagonally across; the
lining should be smooth and the heel
should not extend to the rear, as this
tends to weaken the foot
A prominent physician who saw the
result of the investigation and who
has given the subject of the foot much
study at once protested in writing that
no shoe could fit properly with present
! day stockings. Stockings and shoes are
made on preconceived plan, and the
stocking in particular is made with no
suggestion of the fact that the foot has
curve on the inside. If stockings were
made the shape of the normal foot, so
says this learned man, with the long
part on the side of the big toe, the shoe
question would be partially settled.
Another learned man contends that
"toeing out" produces an unnatural po-
sition of the feet, which tends to de-
tormities and cannot be overcome until
we stand with feet horizontal. Both OF
these opinions are chronicled in a lead
ing magazine and may be right so far
as they go.
The question of the care of the feet
and proper coverings is always consid-
cred last, whereas in reality it is one
Of the prime factors in an individuals
! VI elfare. There is not the slightest
doubt that at no distant day there is
going to be a revolution as to footgear.
Whether the shoe will be Z sandal or
heelless, as some people claim, is a
question, but one thing is certain, with
proper foot covering spinal complaint
will be less, wrinkles will disappear and
the body and the head will be carried
with a graceful poise that is seen now
only in statuary. Much of grace, cul-
! ture and beauty depends upon that neg
lected part of the anatomy-the feet
and a shapely poised foot on a we'll
formed leg gives freedom of action
that is greatly to be desired.
Still Bind Feet.
In a memorial TO the throne, the gov
eminent of Shantung complains that,
notwithstanding the issue of the en-
press strict commands forbidding the
| 40 o+{oo ne foot-bindfnp no finds that