If The Shoe Fits

one thing we 130 million Americans have in common with the rest of the world we all walk and one of the things in which we excel most people is that we walk in better-looking better fitting shoes than any other people in the world you know you can read character in people and story every time science tells us that as civilization esteem for differences depending upon his mode of living and usually these physical difference in hereditary however no Civic study had ever been made of these many foot variation until the manufacturers of Tom McCann shoes created the foot device with this ingenious device then set forth to hundreds of Thom McCann's stores to undertake the task of accurately measuring thousands of customers feet measurements were made of the length of the foot the thickness or height of the foot at the ball joint the elevation of the arch the width of the foot at the ball joint the diameter or thickness of the heel measured from side to side at the point of maximum thickness the curve of the back of the heel these and many other measurements were recorded together with accurate tracings of thousands of foot outlines from the scientific data thus compiled for the first time in the shoe industry expert last makers were able to design a variety of lost every normal foot each of these lasts was then made in 40 to 60 different sizes and widths a selection large enough to fit most normal feet and the story of building shoes on these wooden foundations of fit is an interesting document all by itself to learn this story firsthand I visited one of Thom McCann's New Hampshire factories and here I saw the selection and inspection the best part of the hide it's been specially tanned for toughness and long wear then I saw these tough bends being cut into outer soles and rigidly inspected for imperfections brand marks or anything in the hide that may have spoiled the appearance or wearing quality of the sturdy leather next I saw inner souls being rounded to conform to the bottom of the last so that each shoe will be the correct size and ensure proper fit in the operation known as channeling two parallel cuts are made around the inner soles near the edge then the leather between these diagonal cuts is turned up to form a lip this is important as you'll see or later the welt and upper are stitched to this turned up lip to reinforce the inner sole and add strength to the turned up lip a tough canvas is cemented to the inner sole the operator called this Jenny the canvas is then trimmed exactly to the edge of the lip sorting leather for the upper part of the shoe is a very important job here I learned that the best upper leather for shoes comes from calf skin because of its fine glove like texture so skilled are these inspectors they can tell it a touch or a glance the quality of each piece of leather cutting the parts of the upper is one of the most skilled operations in a manufacture of shoes this part known as the vamp must be cut so that the stretch of leather will be from heel to toe to help retain its shape throughout the life of the shoe each style size and width of last must have its own set of cutting dies the tip is perforated to add style more than 150 styles are created each year by the designers in this Factory a reinforcing flannel called the doubler is cemented to the upper to give it further body and strength this helps the shoe to keep its shape then the upper begins to take form as the tip is stitched to the vamp each part is matched and correctly joined this is an operation requiring the ultimate in skill and precision the perforated quarters are stitched to match the tip and vamp to which they will be joined the quarters are the two parts that form the back of the shoe joining the quarters is called back seaming in top stitching the completed lining is stitched to the joined quarters I was amazed to find that even with the most modern machines the operation of them calls for a high order of skilled craftsmanship I letting another operation that calls for precision the line of eyelets must be in just the right place the upper must be temporarily laced in order that it may be properly lasted the final operation on the upper part of the shoe is known as vamping the vamp with the tip attached is stitched to the joined and lined quarters a small piece of leather reinforcement is added at the point of greatest strain where the center of the vamp is attached to the upper [Music] now with the upper completed and the inner sole ready the Assembly of the finished shoe begins the inner sole is tacked to the wooden last the foundation upon which the shoe is to be built [Music] next the counter is inserted this gives support to the heel and shape to the back of the shoe the completed upper is then tacked to the last from which the shoe takes its shape next I was surprised to see a truly amazing machine of more than 5000 moving parts whose ingenious steel fingers in one single operation pull the upper over the last and tack it tightly building comfort and fit right into the shoe [Music] then came the side lasting operation pulling the upper snugly over the wooden last and stapling it at the side for temporary security another important step in building fitting qualities into the shoe upon these operations depend to a great extent the ease and comfort of the shoes you wear with he'll lasting the joint quarters are formed and fastened at the heel then I watched the bed lasting machine wipe in the upper and fasten it at the toe this operation gives the toe of the shoe its final shape by this time the many intricate manufacturing steps I saw in the making of just one shoe began to give me a keener appreciation of the footwear so many of us take for granted [Music] then I saw the famous Goodyear welted machine and batted more than 70 years ago by Charles Goodyear today Goodyear's perfected method used in manufacturing all Thom McAn men's and boys shoes is considered the nearest to perfect construction ever developed by the finest master craftsmen tough specially treated leather goes into the wealth which is sewed through the upper to the lip of the inner sole this is the connecting link between the upper part of the shoe and the outer sole a shank is inserted to support the arch of the foot and then ground cork filler goes between the inner and outer soles to act as insulator and cushion for the foot under heavy pressure the outer sole is attached preparatory to the rounding and goodyear stitching operations [Music] rough rounding trims off all excess leather and shapes the sole to the lines of the last and then I saw the Goodyear stitcher securely fastened in the author soul to the welt just visualize what's happening the needles carry two threads which come in from top and bottom crossing and forming a loop in the middle thus securely fasten in the outer sole to the shoe now a heavy roller called a leveler molds the sole to the bottom of the last particularly under the arch this adds to the comfort of a shoe the heel base and leather top lifts are nailed on from below [Music] edge trimming with sharp revolving knives requires a steady hand and an artist's eye this operation gives the shoe its final character hot vibrating irons pound the edge of the soul giving it a firm and highly polished surface [Music] wax and polish are applied for further protection of the soul [Music] the welt and upper are cleaned and beautified now that the lasts have served their purpose in building a shoe to fit they're removed and the shoes are ready for the final dressing liquid wax is applied with a spray gun to add luster I was amazed to learn that there are 208 major operations in the manufacture of Thom McAn shoes for men the finished product is a tribute to the skill of the New England craftsmen I met still inherited from their forefathers whose tradition of making fine Footwear they so proudly carry on the same high standards that guide the craftsmen in selecting the raw materials and in building the shoes are also to be found in retail stores where 143 million pairs of these shoes have been sold since 1922 [Music] here highly-trained shoe salesman see to it that every customer gets the proper fit they know that from the scientific findings of the path afoot device from the handiwork of expert last makers and from the precision manufacturing methods of the factory have come a line of fine Footwear in a multitude of sizes widths and styles from which nearly every normal foot can be perfectly fitted and these salesmen realize to the great responsibility which they share with a manufacturer the responsibility of giving every customer the comfort wearability and dependability to which he is entitled I got some good advice from the issue books advice that I'd like to pass along to you it's found in the old saying if the shoe fits wear it [Music] [Applause]