Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-03-02

washington, ID. c., Feb. 26.--ThiS Is
the day of the shoe. Never before has
footwear been at once such vital
spectacular and expensive factor in
the life of the world. The belligerent
nations Of Europe are securing the
earth for leather to clothe the feet of
their armies. At the same time WON
an has seen fit to lift her skirts just
a little higher than ever before, max.
ing it necessary for her shoe-tops to
rise and meet them. This not only
requires more leather, but it brings
shoes into a vastly more prominent
position, with the result that they have
changed from inconspicuous black o..
tan accessories to really brilliant and
colorful creations-at fifteen dollars a
pair.
Thus shoes have become the most
important article in the wardrobe OF
the well accoutred woman. High
shoes, low shoes. medium cut shoes,
colored shoes and, most of all. white
shoes are so popular that some of the
manufacturers, it is reported, have
refused war orders for army shoes to
keep up with the home demand. The
woman who, couple of years ago,
neglected her footgear in the greater
interest of her hats and frocks now
spends day in selecting twenty-five
dollar pair of shoes and buys the rest
of her apparel to match them. II
wanted light gray suit this spring,
but bought blue shoes so III have
to get blue suit to go with them"
is the sort OF thing the retailers OF
ready-made wear are constantly hear
ing.
One firm offered over fifteen hundred
separate styles of shoes this season,
and is still manufacturing new ones.
1t looks IS if the future were going
to evolve the individual pair of shoes
the same as tie individual style Of
hat. In such case, the American
manufacturer who was responsible for
styles in women's shoes will have
started something he couldn't finish.
AS it is, the manufacturer is having his
troubles. Retailers will not buy more
than a few pairs of one style at a
time, for fear that the next week will
find them out of date. On the other
hand, if one particular style proves
popular they rush the manufa cturer
with orders and are indignant if there
is any delay. Under these circum-
stances, the manufacturer is at his
wits end to know how many shoes
of any one style to make. .s
The good old times when he planned
his spring line of shoes in the fall AMI
his fall line of shoes in the spring are
in the distant past. Now he is lucky
to keep three weeks ahead Of the
game. One firm last fall printed a
pamphlet for it's custom showing the
styles that were to be popular in the
spring. The first illustration was a
side-lace gypsy boot of tan kid, no
doubt inspired by the fact that the de-
mand for gypsy boots last fall was
enormous. AS the season progressed,
however, the fad died out and not a
single-side lace gypsy boot is on the
market this spring. s
Just at present a white fad is in
progress. White shoes twelve and if
teen inches high are in great demand,
and the white low shoe is also popu-
lar. One Philadelphia firm has placed
a large number of white colonial
pumps with high, wide tongues and
various styles of buckles on the mar
ket which are achieving great success
The manufacturers are afraid of the
white fad, however. Widespread
popularity usually has the effect of kill
ing an article. Then, too, the large
amount of advertising given the fact