Vigo County Historical Society

Historical Treasure Article

Historic Treasure of the Week - December 21, 1986
By Susan J. Dehler
Vigo County Historical Society

Early women's shoes were solely painful

In 1871 the Terre Haute weekly Saturday Evening Mail ran an article by Dr. Dio Lewis, a columnist on health and dress reform.

Lewis told of an incident in which he proved to a young woman that her shoes were too tight. Although she insisted that her `soles were immense," Lewis challenged her to measure her feet. The experiment revealed that the woman's feet were a good 1 1/2-inch wider than the soles of her shoes. Lewis concluded that "very few girls walk in a firm, strong way. "There is an unsteadiness, a sidewise vibration. The tight shoe . . . so checks the circulation in the foot, that the great majority of girls have cold feet."

Other columns in the Mail were even more severe in tone. The writer claimed that French high heels caused nervous disease and other serious ailments in women. He was in favor of "sensible femininity" and recommended low heels which were comfortable and safe.

Articles on dress were significant in that they challenged women's fashions of the day. In the 19th century women's dress often was a health risk. Corsets were too binding, cosmetics harmed the complexion, and footwear deformed the feet. To obtain a delicate, petite image, women wore shoes too small and high heels which threatened "necks and ankles" for the sake of the latest French fashions.

Early in the 19th century, the styles of women's shoes were soft and fragile--low, flat, ribbon-tied slippers made from such fabrics as twilled cotton, silk or velvet. Although sturdier boots were available for winter wear, some women chose to have "pretty feet" and continued to wear slippers on the snow and ice.

In the latter half of the century, the "common sense shoe" developed to accommodate women's more active lives. These were sturdy, laced boots with a medium-broad heel. High-top shoes often were worn in winter, "not only for the comfort afforded but to slim down one's ankles after the season in unconfining low shoes."

The high-topped shoes on display in the seamstress shop in the Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley may not be "common sense shoes." The Sears and Roebuck Catalog of 1897 advertises a shoe quite similar made from vici kid leather with a cloth interior. The heels are 2 1/2 inches high, the laces reach the mid-calf, and the pointed toe, which give the foot a slender appearance, could potentially be quite confining.

Although the catalog has a lengthy section about shoes and how to wear them, a cautionary note is specifically directed "To The Men" only: "Don't wear shoes too narrow for your
feet. Don't wear a thin shoe for street or rough wear. Don't fit your shoes too short; especially the ones with the pointed toes." No such advise, however, was given to the ladies.

How far have we come in the 20th century?

The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday through Friday.