PLAN No. 559. SPECIALIZED IN FITTING CHILDREN’S SHOES
A young shoe clerk in Chicago developed so great a “knack” for correctly fitting children’s shoes, with special study of the habits as well as the feet of the children, that scores of mothers who brought their little ones into the store would allow no one else to wait upon them. No matter how busy he was—they would patiently wait their turn until he could attend to the delicate matter of fitting each child, regardless of its age or disposition. This is his method:
For the active, outdoor boy he selects a heavier, more substantial shoe than for the studious, indoor child. He takes off the old shoe, notes its size and shape, measures the foot, feels of the arch, to see whether high or low, and chooses for the new shoe one that is one and one-half sizes larger than the actual measurement, to allow room for spreading. If the child is very heavy, he allows two sizes larger. He runs his fingers along the three small toes of the foot, when the shoe is on; if the toes are curled up, the shoe is too narrow. Then he notes the position of the big-toe joint, to be sure the shoe is the proper length. For the child with weak ankles, or just learning to walk, he supplies shoes with whalebone supports in the back, and for the child with normal feet he advises the soft leather shoe with flexible soles. He disagrees with doctors who urge arch supports, as he says the shoe that keeps the foot in the best position is the proper one.
The reputation of his skill for fitting children’s shoes spread throughout the entire shoe trade of Chicago, and one day the head of a large retail shoe house in that city came in and offered him a one-fourth interest in his business if he would take charge of the children’s shoe department, and teach his art to the other clerks. It makes little difference what calling one is in if he likes his work and puts himself into it his opportunity is sure to come.