The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1912-10-18
Footwear of United States
Standard for Universe.
Backward Evolution in Foot Covering
Puts the Wearer Behind the An
clients in Walking Ability
Has Many Defects.

New York-Everyb wears shoes
at least one size too small, it is as
serted, and with toes too narrow.
This gives room for only the great toe
to grow and perform its functions,
but congresses the other toes until
the smallest one is a mere scrap. The
foot of man should spread like an ami
mails paw with every step he takes.
This is impossible in a shoe which
fits" the foot.
Walter C. Taylor, editorln-chiet OF
the Boot ard Shoe Recorder, says:
1.-THE greatest waste in shoe buying
is one for which the consumer him
self is largely responsible. 1t comes
through the buying of shoes which
are poorly fitted"
We not only wear our shoes too
small and our heels too high, but we
allow fashion to influence us, and
there is a constant demand for
change in style and material; de-
mand which the manufacturers supply
abundantly." Mr.. Taylor says that II
would be worth millions TO the trade
and TO the consumer if this could be
righted by common sense view or
our foot covering. OF course the
women are blamed for the greater
part OF this extravaganza. for dainty
foot has long been considered much
10 be desired Gradually shoes have
developed into things of beauty mere
ly and we buy them with the thought
of their appearance and not OF their
use In fact, Americans, as a rule,
do not expect 70 walk great distances.
1t seems that the development OF
the shoemakers art is in inverse ratio
10 the development of the foot. for
here in America our feet are notorl-
ously undeveloped, and yet America
leads the world in the making OF
shoes. Almost everything else in the
way or wearing apparel depends more
or less on foreign importations, but
America influences the shoe styles
of England, Germany and France, and
American methods are standard for
the world
American supremacy IN shoemaking
10 Aut lol Soy W
Abroad an operative does half a
dozen different things; here he per-
forms one simple process. and here
also one factory makes one kind OF
shoes II large manufacturer makes
different kinds OF shoes he has a
separate factory for each kind
What sight the modern shoe fac
tory would be TO the primitive shoe
maker OF colonial days who was an
! itlnerant workman, carried his tools
/ with him and stayed with each family
long enough to make up the farmers
! supply of home tanned leather into
/ shoes enough to last until his next
I annual visit His last was roughly
Whitfield out OF piece OF wood to
/ suit the largest foot in the family
/ ana then pared doVn for the success
/ siye sizes He sat on a low bench
/ one end of which was divided into
! compartments where his avis. ham
mers, knives and rasps were kept
| with his pots or paste and blackiug
his pals. thread. Innings and buttons
shoulder sticks" and rub sticks"
With all OF our wonderful machin
cry we produce shoes which are not
so good for our feet, as the most prim
tive and simplest OF foot coverings
the sandal. which is considered ideal
by those who appreciate the beauty Of
the human foot and wish to preserve
1t. The sandal was worn by the an
cient Egyptians and Greeks and the
shoes" of the Bible were sandals
The same type is sttll worn by the
peoples of Central Asia. India, japan
and China.
The Indian moccasin, which extende
over the top OF the foot, but has the
sole and main part in one piece, is