As long as I can remember, my grandfather owned a shoe store. That store was in a small town in north Texas. The actual storefront is still there, and last time I was in town it had become some sort of small restaurant. There was no mistaking the location of the store, since the little black and white tile entry is still there. One memory of the shoe store...was this strange machine.
It was actually and x-ray machine. You climbed up the steps and put your feet in...wearing the shoe you were being fitted for. With the store clerk looking through one of the viewing scopes, and your parent the other, it was determined if the shoe fit properly. It wasn't too long before someone figured out that these contraptions were not safe. Not so much for the customer, but for the store clerk... who probably was exposed to radiation several times a day.
My grandfather would have never installed such a device, had he known it could be harmful to anyone.
Have you ever seen such a machine?
* photo found on the Internet. If anyone has any objection to it being published here. I will be happy to remove it.
Never have Janey, quite fascinating. The idea was good the radiation not so much :)
ReplyDeleteSeen it? I loved it as a kid and tried the machines whenever I could. Fascinating for a youngster!
ReplyDeleteNever heard of such a device Janey, absolutely fascinating!
ReplyDeleteHello Janey,
ReplyDeleteWell, yes, we do remember such contraptions from our early childhoods.
It was felt to be so important to get the right fit in shoes when one's feet were still growing. Those were the days when shoes came in several different fittings and the shop assistants had small benches to sit upon when fitting the shoes. Now it is all help yourself!
gosh, no! fascinating!
ReplyDeleteNever heard or seen anything like this before.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, I'm ancient and have had my feet measured with thtis contraption. I think it was widely used in the 40's and early 50's.
ReplyDeleteDearest Janey,
ReplyDeleteNo not personally but I knew about them from a former colleague who worked at a huge shoe store!
Hugs,
Mariette
I remember my little daughter had once such a check in a shoe store when we bought her shoes, but the machine was not that big I think.
ReplyDelete