Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 268, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 November 1917 — Health Endangered By High Heels [ARTICLE]

Health Endangered By High Heels

By DR. SAMUEL DIXON.

Commissioner of Health of Pennsylvania.

The present extremely high heels worn by the majority of American women, both old and young, mean deformity of the feet. X-ray pictures Indicating the relation of the toes/OFthe ground when they are encased lii these high-heeled shoes, show that women are walking on the ends of their five toes. There Is food for thought in the fact that the horse nowadays walks on a foot consisting of one toe, while in the more primitive animal there were three or five toes. The shape of the natural foot of man has a great variety of uses and it is one of the things that has helped to place him first in the life of the earth. The natural foot has been one of the anatomical facts that has helped him to his present high state of efficiency. The form of that foot nas enabled him to become, a good hunter, a good farmer, a good sailor, a good soldier —in fact, anything he has found it necessary through the ages to become, or finds now’ essential for the war we are fighting to continue our personal liberty. Let the biitterfly girls and the other high-heeled old and young women stop and realize the value of the normal foot of man. Let them cut off the high heel and substitute the natural level. This might also w’ork out to the interest of direct economy by using the surplus heel to make thicker soles on the shoes. Let us recognize the models of nature which have led us to success. If man’s foot had been abused for an indefinite time in a w r ay to have reduced it to a one-toed foot, resembling the horse’s, he would have a hard time trying to fulfill his present duties in life. : The high heel represents the fashion for the women of today and means a great discounting of the value of mankind, particularly if it is continued a long time. The present high heel is not only torturous but of great injury to the health. The mother must remember that she is partly responsible for the feet of her children and that if she wants~ffiem to have normal, strong feet she must keep them naturally shod. I