Evening star., 1925-05-01
MEN CUT BUYING
OF SHOES IN HALF
Slump in Exports, However,
Proves Hardest Blow
to Industry.
BY j. c. ROYLE.

BOSTON. May 1.-The men Of
America are not wearing longer shoes,
but they are wearing shoes longer
To that fact lis attributed a good por-
ton of the difficulties which are af-
fecting certain phases of the shoe
manufacturing business in New Eng
land. The industry is not particularly
active and this Is not a condition
peculiar to New England alone.
Makers here declare that the export
situation and the more economical
use of shoe leather by men are mainly
responsible.
Women Double Buying.
One large distributor said today
that men now were buying only half
as many shoes as In former years.
Many women, however, are buying
twice as many as in former years
and this is serving to balance demand
and output. This statement was con-
ffrmed by several large manufacturers
here. The theory Is advanced that
the use of the automobile is Iessening
the amount of walking men do.
Formerly II was customary for
men to wear low shoes in Summer
and high shoes in Fall and Winter.
Now the custom has become almost
universal TO vary the weight OF the
stocking rather than change the type
of shoe. Presumably. the use of
patent soles or rubber composition
soles has tended to lengthen the life
of pair of mems shoes. AT any
rate, shoes are wearing longer.
Declines in Output.
In 1914 the production of mems
shoes in this country totaled 9S,031 900
pairs. In 1924 output fell off TO S4..
662,S57 pairs. Considering that the
population of the country has ex-
panded from approximately 10000 900
TO ia 100000 in the same period, the
contention that men are wearing their
shoes longer is amply sustained.
The output of women's shoes in
1914 totaled S0,916.o0O pairs Last
year 1t reached 104, ,135 900 pairs, and
even this represented a drop OF $780,
600 pairs from 1923. Styles have
played an important part in wom-
ems shoe production. Fashions have
changed rapidly, and, in general, the
kind of shoe most desired has been
OF a fragile type, not adapted to long
wear.
More Bargain Sales.
One shoe authority points out that
while the trend of styles has resulted
in larger turnover, it has also re-
suited in more bargain basement sales
by retailers. The retail stores have
been loath TO stock heavily on fancy
shoes. the life OF the demand for which
they could not gauge.
Nevertheless, women. as this au
thority puts 1t, have developed a high
degree of shoe consciousness" They
are acutely desirous of putting their
best foot. forward and the custom of
having a pair of shoes to match or
accompany each separate costume of
their wardrobes has grown steadily.
Mems shoe consciousness" has fallen
off. The wearing of sport clothes and
the playing of golf are alleged TO
have something to do with this.
Drop in Export Business.
Export business in shoes also has
dropped. Before the war, this coun-
try was sending abroad S42, 900 pairs
Of shoes a month. During the war,
this trade increased until it reached
1 ,7So, 900 pairs a month in 1919. Then
came the slump and in the last year
the average has been $1,000 pairs
a month. --
In Brockton, the center of the New
England shoe industry, in Philadel-
phia and ST. Louis, most manufac-
turers are making money. Labor
troubles have been more severe in
the shoe towns north of Boston, but
everything now points toward a sta
bilization OF conditions there.
Cheap Goods Popular.
A rate of production about equal TO
that of last year is in prospect at
the factories for the next few months.
Advances in prices for the finished
product are not anticipated and buy
ing promises to be steady with whole
sale orders small and frequent.
The larger seller for men still is in
grade priced under IS a pair at
retail.