Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-31
EVILS OF HIGH HEELS.
Look Pretty, but They Throw the
Body Out of Position.


The revolutions of the fashion
wheel in footwear must necessarily
be limited. There is less opportuni-
ty for variety in shoes than in most
articles Of apparel, unless your taste
runs to contrasting tints in laces
and leather or glaring stitches and
beadwork for the street, and the
shade of difference in the width OF
toe or the slight variation in posi-
tion or height of heel is all that
marks the passing from the cult of
one season to that of another.
High heels are having their in
nings Just now and many and divers
are the ills that result therefrom.
There is no denying the fact that in
itself, apart from its effect upon a
woman's health and her grace of
movement, the high heel is pretty.
1t makes a foot look smaller, it gives
(until it destroys it altogether) an
appearance of greater height to the
arch of the instep and it looks more
in keeping with the daintiness and
frivolity of a true woman's getup,
but here its advantages end.
There is something particular
fetching about high-heeled, pointed
toed slipper just .peeping from under
the voluminous rufles CT frilly pet
ticoat, but just let the owner Of that
slipper get up to cross the room and
in nine cases out of ten the illusion
is spoiled! The French-heeled wo-
man is rarely comfortable about the
feet, ana If her feet are not comfor-
table she can not walk we'll
Watch a crowd of women entering
the dining room of a hotel and she
who comes with an easy, graceful,
skimming movement is the woman
whose heels are, Of moderate height
and whose toes are not crammed into
space a quarter of an inch too mar
row for them, while she whose walk
is characterized by little jerks and
lack of rhythm is she who clings
despite all warnings to her beloved
high heel.
Now, all feet are not built just
alike. The common-sense last for
one type of extremity is anything
but common sense for another. A
woman whose instep is by nature
high and whose big toe extends some
little distance beyond it's fellows can
comfortably wear a higher heel and
more pointed toe than her flat-footed
sister, but even she must have a care
as to how far she carries her privi-
lege or the day of reckoning will
| come.
Falling instep is a disease common
among nurses and other women who
stand much on their feet, and the
active women who affects the ex
tremely high heel while going about
her daily tasks is fairly counting this
danger. Half the sprained ankle
in the world result from high heels
two-thirds Of the corns and bunions
but despite all this it Is pretty Ger
tain that women will continue wear
ing them TO the end of time.
For the woman who refuses to us,
her ounce of prevention there 4
the pound of cure for the resultan
evils in The numerous powders anC
| lotions that food the market, ant
since this benefits the merchants tn,
wind is not altogether i'll. The wo
man who adores high heels shoult
bathe her feet often and cultivate
| talent for massage. She will neet
the latter If she wants to keep he
joints the normal size.
She should also keep an eye to he
/ figure. The heel habit will do won
ders toward throwing the human
body out of plumb and 1t require
constant watchfulness to cireumyen
its wiles. BY and by, when sh
grows older and more sensible an,
less vain, she will take to nat heel
Of her own accord.