The New York herald., 1921-01-23

cut Of precious fabrics and sewn with
precious jewels. There was a time
when men spent much of their income
on the gorgeousness Of their clothes
and among the most significant items
were shoes.
After that epoch the covering for the
feet became a matter of comfort and
protection for the majority. When the
minority, eager for adventure. in quest
of the curious, wanted to Great diver
sion from their frocks to their feet they
adopted the Greek sandal During the
rest of the time they let the shoemaker
perfect the line and construction OF the
shoe and were content with black and
brown leather for the street and with
satin slippers for the evening. That
was before the great war.
Calling Attention to the Feet.
After the war was finished France
modelled much of her costumery on
ancient Egypt, frivolous Babylon and
fantastic Persia. Doing this It was to
be expected that ancient sandals. gor-
geously fashioned. would make their
appearance They did. America smiled
Ol u
who loved colorful baubles. Then
America adopted the Shoes which were
as different from anything we have ever
worns as the gowns of Cleopatra from
the tailored suits of Main Street
For six months women in this country
have successfully diverted attention to
their feet. They put Jewels. feathers.
ns FUR and cut ,,,; steel on Top Of metallic
The thap
to this era. There was the sandal OF
the Orient, tilted forward on the heel
of the Bourbons. There were the straps
of Egypt, allied to the heels of Spain.
No one country and no one epoch was
consistently represented. All shapes
gave abundant reason to believe that
the women of this generation continue
to insist upon high heels, IL not small
waists.
Many Adventures I'm Shoes.
1t is curious thing that each nation
considers its own past folly as mex
plicable when It appears later in an
other nation. Ten years ago the French
wore pointed shoes that were copied
from the tenth century. America wore
at that time round toes, short vamps
and Cuban heels Then each reversed
itself In its chosen fashion each smiled
derisively at the other.
At this moment smart shoes are alike
on both continents. BY some accident
two orposing fashions have become one
for a short arc of time. The majority
Of American shoes remain pointed. All
French shoes are round flat toes and
short vamps. But there is a segment
of fashionable women i'm America who
adopt the French shoe whole-heartedly.
The sight of II still causes men and
women to turn and look. 1t Is not yet
considered commonplace. The American
shoemakers have accepted the straps.
the high heel and the somewhat short
vamp. but the majority OF them con-
tinue TO follow the dimensions OF q
toothpick in the last OF the Shoe
1t Is hard for the observer to say
which shape Is the uglier: the unmodi-
fled French or the unmodfied Ameri-
can No shape has yet reached a grace
ful compromise sThe Americans look as
though their feet had gone through a
sausage grinder and come out shane
less. The French look as though their
feet had been chopped Off with broad
axe. then tilted up at the back to keep
them from touching the ground Hideous
deformities. both Of them.
AS the spring approaches Il is evident
that the shoemakers. like the dressmak-
ers. are throwing all fashions on the
market in an effort to please all tastes.
That we will wear fantastic shoes is
certain. That Palm Beach will inaug1i-
rate a fashion for varied and fancifuT
shoes on the beaches and the dance
floors Is quite evident. We are done
with solemn feet for a space We are
out for adventure.
A Struggle Bet--een Two Factions.
There are critics OF high fashion and
the frvollties Of wealth who insist that
these shoes are merely the trappines OF
social indulgence and extravar rance They
should be banned. say these reformers:
the day ~ too serious. too weichted with
the burdens Of labor and finance to ner-
mt luxurious class TO wear shoes
which are reminiscent of the Hanging
Gardens Of Babylon.
This criticism has rs much reason
behind II as the criticism OF those who
Insist that smart fashions rre only ''-
the rich and vainclorious. The UNDER
lying truth Is that the girl on a small
wage. the woman In the small town are
the ones who wear these shoes and ultra
fashions In preference to others.
The girl who energies from the office
at 5 o'clock in the afternoon Is far more
apt to wear gray suede low shoes with
Louis XIV. heels. strap across the In
step and zone around the ankle. with
transparent silk stockings to match than
Is the ultra -fa shionablc woman.
II is for this reason that the streets
of America between the oceans are filled
with women wearing fantastic shoes IL
Ia the conspicuous fashion OF the hour