Of late years this barbarous custom has been gradually dying out, and now one can occasionally come across a woman whose feet have not been distorted; still, when they are allowed to wear shoes of natural size and form, they are usually fixed on high, conical soles, like Figure [8], which renders walking very difficult. But the Chinese women are not expected to walk much, as their lives are passed in seclusion and retirement.
Fig. 9.
Fig. 10.
Fig. 11.
Some of the shoes worn by the ladies are very beautiful, indeed (Figs. [6 & 7)], being made of delicate pink and blue satin embroidered with birds and flowers.
The men generally wear black satin boots with white soles, which they lay off in summer for shoes made of plaited bamboo, with cork soles.
In India, shoes are worn only by the higher classes, and a few of the lower castes. This habit of going shoeless seems to render the toes of the Hindoo almost as lissom as fingers. Sitting at his work, if his hands are employed he can use his feet to pick up any article he may require, as the big toe becomes quite prehensile.