The Washington times., 1912-07-15
j. S. SOLDIERS TO
HAVE SHOES TO FIT,
RESULT OF TESTS
Board Named Four Years
Ago Submits Recon-
mendations.

A board Of officers consisting Of
Major E. L. Munson, Of the Medical
Corps; Capt. w. ]. Glasgow, of the
General staff; Capt. J. r. Hannay. Of
the Twenty-second Infantry. and First
Lieut.. B. F. Miller, Of the Twenty
seventh Infantry, appointed four years
ago to devise perfect shoe for the
soldiers Of the United States Army.
shortly will recommend that a new
kind of footwear be used.
This information was received from a
reliable source today, and 1t Is proba BILE
that before many more months have
passed the Secretary of War will off,
cially adopt the recommendations OF
the board.
For years the percentage of imperfect
feet, often made worse by the wearing
of improper shoes, has been appalling
in the United States army. On long
marches men have been forced to drop
out on account of blisters, bruises and
other shoe troubles.
In rigid tests held at Fort Leaven-
worth the new shoe proved a success.
A march Of III miles was made by 375
men from Fort Leavenworth. Part wore
perimental shoe. The ones wearing the
new shoe finished the tramp easily.
while a great number of those wearing
| the shoes now in use were forced to
quit because of sore feet.
Remarkable Experiments.
Some remarkable experiments have
been made with the new shoe. X-ray
pictures have been taken of feet in the
present shoe with forty pounds Of pres
| sure on a soldiers back, and then the
| same foot in the new shoe. Invariably
! in the old shoe some one of the toes
| was showed completely out of it's prop
| er position, but in the new shoe each
toe had plenty of room, thus making
marching comparatively easy.
The board during its Investigations
has examined several thousand soldiers
| feet. These have been measured in
every conceivable position, ranging from
repose to the hardest service with the
| heaviest equipment carried by the
soldier. These feet have been subjected
to photographing By x-ray with the
| shoe on and off and in all positions,
| ranging from the most complete repose
| to the severest possible strain under
| the conditions of service.
The Investigations carried on by the
! board have been of the most complete
| character. The x-ray photographs have
! resulted in some very interesting in
| formation as to the effect on the feet
| of standing in certain positions, walk
! ing in various positions, and marching
! In both light and heavy equipment. The
/ heaviest test has been with the soldier
: IN full field uniform and carrying the
.maxlmum amount OF equipment of forty
! pounds.
! In the course of these investigations
! the tendency of the foot to spread as
: the weight is thrown on it, has beer
investigated, and the X-ray has shoWr
| the positions taken Dy the various bones
: of the feet as affected by tie changing
position and weight.
To Hold Foot Back.
Another result of the investigation
was the disclosing of the best method
of holding the foot back in the shoe
preventing the toes from reaching the
extremity of the shoe, and at the sam,
time preventing the binding of the sho'
over the instep in such manner as tf
| nurt and even injure the foot.
| The first eAperiNental order of the
| new shoes consisted of $50 pairs on the
| same number of men. Every man ex.
pressed himself immensely pleased al
the change.
| At the present there are three kinds
| of shoes issued, two tans and one
| black. OF the tans, one is for garrison
wear and the other for marching. The
black is worn with the blue uniforms.
But under the new system but two
kinds will be made, one OF tan and one
| of black. The tans will be worn fol
both garrison and marching purposes
| while the blacks will be used with the
| hIne unifOrn1s and for dress DuIDOSes