It was the day after Labor Day 1957 and the countdown had begun for the new school term.

From Long Island to Little Rock, crisp black and white marbled composition notebooks were hastily purchased, and last-minute yellow Dixon number 2 lead pencils skillfully sharpened.

I need shoes, she needs shoes all children need shoes.

To prepare for the big school launch, a visit to the shoe store was in order, as summers canvas Keds, were sorrowfully replaced with sturdy, sensible school shoes.

I too would trade in my knitted booties for my very first shoes.

Getting that oh so important extra care for baby’s first steps it was none too soon for my feet to start getting the protection they would need.

And lucky for me our local shoe store no longer had to rely on the old fashioned 6 point fitting plan, but could take advantage of the miracle of the x-ray fluoroscope.

That’s Shoe Biz

(L)vintage ad Poll Parrot Shoes for children (R) Vintage ad Red Goose Children’s shoes 1950s

(L) Vintage Ad Poll Parrot Shoes for children (R) Vintage ad Weather-Bird shoes for children 1950s

All week long radio commercials were competing for attention on the airwaves as all the shoe stores were offering pre labor day sales and new school term incentives.

Because the number  of US small fry kept rocketing upward at a phenomenal clip it was a business bonanza with shoe dealers competing for the right to dress your youngsters feet, dangling bold promises that with their shoe they’d outperform any other.

But only Buster Brown at Henleys Shoe Store could boast of that futuristic apparatus -the fluoroscope, to x ray your feet..

The radio announcement was all the incentive Mom needed:

 “Every parent will want to hear this important news!

“Now at last you can be certain that your child’s foot health is not being jeopardized by improperly fitting shoes.”

“Henleys Shoe store on Hempstead Turnpike  in Franklin Square is now featuring the new ADRIAN Special Fluoroscopic Show Fitting machine that gives you visual proof in  a second that your children’s shoes fit. The ADRIAN Special shoe fitting machine has been awarded the famous Parents Magazine Seal of Commendation…a symbol of safety and quality to millions of parents all over America.”

“If your children need new shoes, don’t buy their shoes blindly. “

“Come in today, let us show you the new, scientific method of shoe fitting that careful parents prefer.”

“Henley’s Shoe Store invites all of you to visit us today for an interesting demonstration. We know that once you buy shoes that are scientifically fitted you will shop at Henley’s s all of the time.”

Fit Right In

Staring at the big plastic Buster Brown lighted dealers sign we stepped in to the crowded, stuffy store.

Once in the store, crowds oohed and ahhed as children of all ages toddled and walked down the blue carpeted runway with its picture of a winking Buster Brown and Tige, in new sporty saddles, hard working oxfords and the hands down beauty-shiny mary janes.

While the shoe salesman measured my feet, my trigger-happy, have-gun-will -travel brother  Andy was off shooting down a rogue pair of oxfords just like Dads  with his cosmic atomic ray gun, shooting powerful electronic colors beams, the sounds resonating off the tall wall of floor to ceiling shoe boxes.

I jiggled up and down on Moms lap and curled my toes when the shoe salesman measured my feet. His pudgy fingers with thickened yellow nails had nicotine stains between the first and second fingers of his left hand, as he placed my foot in the classic Braverman metal shoe measuring device.

Even this once scientific breakthrough 25 years earlier was now old fashioned..

The salesman looked and sounded remarkably like Andy Devine, the gentle giant, a rotund, high pitched gravelly voice host, who coincidently hosted a show sponsored by who else…. Buster Brown.

I half expected him to utter the words “Froggy plunk your magic twanger” and green Froggy would appear in a puff of smoke interrupting the sales pitch with his trademark “Hiya kids Hiya Hiya”  in a low raspy voice sinister croak

Ready For My Close up

 Gently, he placed my foot in the fluoroscope- x ray machine, a big box that looked like an old radio floor model. My tootsies were ready to have their  picture taken.

His well-practiced “Here’s looking at you kid” guaranteed to elicit a giggle from Mom. With the seriousness of a doctor and the expertise of a scientist his foot side manner created just the right blend of scientific know how and showmanship.

Naturally my brother Andy was fascinated by the fluoroscope- it was not unlike something that Captain Video that technological genius had invented like the Opticon Scillometer a long-range x-ray machine to see through walls.

Placing my foot inside the box I could see all the bones of my foot glowing white in a hazy green foot.. The salesman promised in his rough wheezing voice I’d be soon rocketing on all tubes in my new, scientifically correct, hi tops.

Copyright (©) 2012 Sally Edelstein All Rights Reserved