Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-21
IMAM Is Careless
About Buying His Shoes %
Says The B0wl@vardier

more If you took deeper interest In
the man who buys shoes Why don't you
tell some of this to them
The manager merely glared.
And lose my job, he supplemented
icily.
''Why so?"
why, simply because there is nothing
on earth that is opinionated as the
male shoe buyer. He is perfectly con-
WINGED beforehand what he wants and In
fully ~ per cent of the cases il is ex-
actly the thing he should not buy. He
insists that he be given a type of shoe
the pictures OF which-in magazine and
other OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES caught his
fancy. He does not consider for a mo-
ment that II may not be the shoe for
him. And il the clerk attempted to sug-
gest another type he would scent an In
suit in the suggestion and il is a six to-
one bet that he'd walk out of the store
Thinking the thing over there seems
more than an average amount of truth in
what the manager said.
In the first place the average man does
not seem to realize fact which has been
pounded into him by every writer of fash
ions since the days OF the fig leaf de-
parted. man is as well dressed as his
shoes. Give him an expensive suit. a
magnificent hat, superlative necktie
and shirt and a pair of shoes that are
unpublished. broken and run over at the
heel and he won't look well dressed Nine
out of ten people couldn't for the life OF
them tell what was the matter with him.
Yet all OF them would realize that there
was something wrong and would blame
the man for his shoes.
i !.
As a matter of fact all he needs IA q
pair of shoes.
And following the same line of thought
a man may have a shabby suit, neatly
pressed and frayed; linen newly washed
and a well made. shapely pair of shoes
and he will have an appearance OF ele-
gance which will be indefnable. but new
ertheless obvious. People who can't I'M
derstand why they don't look right
usually overlook their shoes. And by SO
doing they overlook the minor things
which, unless properly attended to, de-
stroy the ensemble.
The case of the fat man offered q
splendid example of this oft-recurrtng
fact. He would undoubtedly toll until
his shoes had been broken In" and by
that time they would be so thoroughly
broken as TO be unrecognizable az shoes.
Creased shabby and even split they
would advertise him as the careless man.
He would undoubtedly rail against the
shoemaker who swndled him with pair
of shoddy shoes lie would be unutter-
ably surprised at the shoemaker with
courage enough TO tell him that IL was
not the shoes but his own insensate van
Talking with a shoemaker emphasizes
the fact that the average man doesn't
possess the first notion OF what he should
do with his shoes. He will persist I'm
destroying the shape and mildly wonder
what is the matter.
Said the shoemaker with whom I talk
ed:
Most men destroy the life of their
shoes by wearing them into state OF
weakness before they bring them to me
for repair. 4 man with three pairs OF
shoes which lie wears at regular inter
walls. and which are repaired at the first
sign or weakening will get 80 per cent
more wear out of them than the man
who persists i'm wearing his shoes until
the sole is almost gone through and the
top splintered'
Why men refuse to give more considera-
ion to the needs OF their feet is and al
ways will be a mystery. They develop
DOT troubles, the shoe managers told me.
and throw away money because they
lont buy shoes on a sensible and syste-
matte principle, as they would buy any
hing else.
The rules which the shoe managers
gave We're these:
Always have, at least, two pairs OF
hoes Iii good state of repair.
Don't have them polished too often.
twice a week. per pair. is sufficient.
Have the heels Strengthened as soon as
here is sign of running over. This
prevents the weakening OF the upperS
nd the consequent loss of shape.
Always take off q pair of shoes after
hey have suffered hard usage, such as
long walk will bring.
Have them repaired before they are
adly out OF repair.
There were many other rules which
hey gave. These. however seemed to
generally cover the whole subject OF shoe
Before / conclude the sorrows OF the
hoe managers, it is worth while to say
word about style. Since the tan shoe
as become so prominent there are many
Tho have gotten the habit OF wearing
an shoes for everything except dinner
lothes and evening dress. The managers
shoe stores fearfully look to the time
yhen the tan shoe and evening clothes
ill not be de trop. Ii this comes. II will
o only against their bitter protest, al
Their Innovations have come.
One manager pointed out the numerous
olors in shoes.
There are grays and blacks" he said.
that are decidedly proper IL men only
'ould be persuaded to wear them gener-
lly. The trouble Is that only a few mon
ill overcome their love of tradition and
Ike the plunge. Then there is the white
zoe. which is the only proper thing TO
ear with white clothes. How infre-
|T-1-ttr,,. -, Tv-i-A VS.--I