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inadequate grip of the double strap at the instep the
shoe fits poorly. Luckily, this double-ankle-bar style
is a dying fashion, but it can still be found in the
toddler age-group Seven shops stocked this style.
(b) The toe shoe is altered by curving the inner
border of the shoe inwards to meet the outer border at
a point of varying degree The straight inner border
and generous rounded toe shape are thus lost. The
upper of the shoe is made to fit tightly across the
metatarsal arch of the foot, and this, plus the "digital
wedge* effect described by Haines and McDougall (1954),
keeps the shoe applied to the foot. This design of
shoe is much in favour with parents of older girls and
with the shoe-fitters Twenty-five shops stocked this
style of shoe.
(c) It is surely true to say that the low-cut casual
style of shoe has no residual good features of design
at all. These shoes have pointed toes, low-cut sides,
and low-cut fronts They stay on the foot because they
are "short-fitted" in length, narrow in width, and use
the toes as a ''digital wedge," Seventeen shops stocked
such a shoe. The results of this survey show how often
the shoe-shops cater for the fashion-conscious girl by
stocking these casual shoes. These sell well, and can
be shown to parents when the shop itself has not got
the correct fitting in a well-shaped shoe, or when the
parents want a more grown-up style, or when the girl
is allowed to choose her own shoes.
Eight shops stocked and recommended one make of
shoe. Yet of these only four had the adequate range of
half-sizes and three width-fittings to cover accurate
fitting of children's feet.
Size of Stock - The results as expressed in Table III
show how poor was the extent of the stock of wellshaped
shoes Only 12 shops could show a narrow-fitting
child's shoe, and only eight could show a large size
for girls The present custom of selling children's
and adult shoes together from any one shop limits the
size of the stock The retailers claim that in order
to stock a comprehensive range of half-sizes and three
width-fittings in children's shoes, their shops would
have to be enormous There is an obvious need for the
establishment of shoe-shops in which only children's
shoes will be sold and where a sufficient range of
sizes and width-fittings can be stocked However, even
with the existing system of selling children's shoes,
the size of the stock would be relatively unimportant
if the time taken to obtain shoes not in stock was one
or two days. This survey shows, however, that the
usual time to obtain these shoes is one week, which is
far too long an interval Shoes out of stock could be
obtained in 48 hours if the manufacturers were contacted
immediately.
Price Range of Four Specified Shoes - The prices
quoted by the managers had, of course, a wide range,
but on analysis were found to fall into two groups
The more expensive were those of shoes with widthfittings,
but the two price-ranges show an overlap,
clearly demonstrating that all shoes for children
could be multi-fitting and yet reasonably priced.
Fitting of Children s Shoes - The fitting of any shoe
is a skill requiring training and experience, and
particularly is this true with children's shoes Many
firms have their own foot-gauges, which are very
useful, but in addition a trained assistant should be
able to fit by hand.