Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-10-17
A Wc-d About Shoes.

AuSlSpS lHdl OItSu result III Sudul-
bling and ungraceful ways of walk
ing, according to a well-known sur
geon.
TOO much care cannot be taken in
selecting boots made on lasts that fit
the feet" he says, "and at this sea.
son of the year, when every one 10
buying shoes and slippers for the
spring and summer, it would be a
good thing for women, especially
mothers, to remember that shoes
should be bought to fit the feet, and
not attempt to put them in any shape
shoe, just because it happens to be
the newest thing. A woman should
not even consent to having a ready
made boot tried on her feet or those
of her little ones unless it is made on
lines that look as if they WOULD 1T
But | know that of the ma.lv thous-
ands who buy shoes comparatively
few ever think Of studying them or
even stop to consider the shape OF
their feet They want the newest
style, and If they can get the right
last and the proper length they buy
the shoes, regardless of comfort
st has been my experience in shoe
shops that few of the statesmen know
that the shape of the foot should be
studied as carefully as a milliner does
the color of hair, eyes and the shape
of the face, for much OF comfort and
strength depends on a good fitting
shoe. Where the pressure is not
evenly divided and the boot cramps in
one place and pinches in another, no
one can be at ease or delight in either
walking or standing when their feet
ar5 hurting.
when convenient should sug-
gest going to a shoemaker who will
take exact measurements and make a
boot to fit, for they will be much
more comfortable and really better
physically, because they win be
moulded to the characteristic curves,
a depression in the instep or a large
muscle in another place that might
cause pain, even sort of lameness,
If ready made shoes were put on, I'M
til they had been worn several times
and broken in, as it is called.
Many persons declare that high
heeled shoes are not only injurious to
the health, but that they really ruin
the shape of the foot. Now,
should like to ask what a woman or
a young girl with dainty, high
arched instep would wear if she
couldn't get a shoe shaped like her
foot. 1t is obvious that she could not
wear low heeled, fiat soled boot
without not only being uncomfortable
but actually having pain, for the pres
sure on the instep and arch would be
too much. In the same way girl
with comparatively low instep and
fiat foot would be really torturing her
self ii she wore high heeled shoes
with arched insteps.
ION exactly the same principle IS
the high and low heels, some can
wear soles of leather as thick as men,
while others would be in agony with
any but a thin, almost paper-lik9, sole.
This, however, is, | believe, more de
pendent on habit than on the forma-
ton of the foot A child whose
mother has always bought thin soled
shoes for it usually wears them when
it grows up, while those who have
grown accustomed to thick ones de.
clare that the light ones positively
give them pain and blisters when
they walk.
"The fad for wearing fiat soled, low
heeled, mannish shoes by many
women. especially nurses in hospi-
tails and girls in stores where they
are compelled to be on their feet all
day, has caused more weak insteps
than anything else l know Of
But in wearing very high heels
that have practically no fat surface to
rest on women err in just quite the
opposite direction, and the results
are quite as harmful. for they not only
get weak insteps but often strain
the ankles so that the muscles are
not strong enough to properly sup
por. the weight of the body and are
constantly bending and turning as
1t is commonly called
IF l had my way in bringing up
children l would never tell them to
turn out their toes. if they were
pigeontoed | would let chem walk that
way, for the sures. method of having
strong feet and ankles is to walk
with the toes straight, turned either
way it is better that they toe in, fo-
then there is less likelihood of the in
step and ankle being strained anG
made weak as often happens when
they are constantly urged to point
their feet out
1T seems to me that many physi-
cal training and dancing teachers go
on the wrong principle in giving les
sons, for most Of chem insist upon
the little ones toeing out, and fire.
quentIy teach them to place their
feet in unnatural positions.
Once an affected way of walking
or dancing is acquired by Young
child it diff1cult to get it again to oe
natural, hence the enormous number
Of weak insteps and ankles that PEG
pie, especially young girls and women
have.
Il would not advise the sensible