BOOTS & SHOES
part of the Penicuik Community Development Trust Open House
programme
featuring
LASTS for making and mending shoes
RUBBER WADERS
with metal tackets
to give a grip on smooth slippy pebbles on the river
bottom
MOON BOOTS
SKATES used on Penicuik Low Pond
Children's Foot Health Register
and much more!
Children's Foot Health Register
Centre of excellence
for children's shoe fitting:
Young & Co., Eastgate,
Peebles
Young & Co kindly lent a B fitting Start-Rite
children’s shoe. Fifty years ago
children’s (and adult) feet in this area were much narrower than they are today.
WESTMORELAND SHOEMAKERS
AT
Reformatories and Industrial Schools
In 1836, on the
A child, under 14 years of
age, could be sent to an
A British government
report in 1884 stated that some 2,108 boys and 133 girls had already emigrated
to the colonies from institutions in
see The Golden Bridge: Young Immigrants to Canada,
1833-1939 by Marjorie Kohli
The Institutions in Scotland
Glasgow had a Girls
Reformatory in the city,
The Maryhill Industrial School for
Girls, and out-of-town the East Chapelton Reformatory
for girls from 1854
Paisley’s Kibble Institute
(Kibble Reformatory) dates from 1859.
Edinburgh had
one of the most famous of these institutions, the out-of-town
see The Golden Bridge: Young Immigrants to Canada,
1833-1939 by Marjorie Kohli
Advertisement on the
front page of The
Scotsman
THE
EMIGRANT'S FAREWELL
Farewell to bonnie
The land of love and freedom of fair women and brave men.
The good ship now outspreads her wings to bear us o'er
the foam
Far, far from
Farewell to him who served me well with famous boots and
shoes
A parting word of gratitude to him we can't refuse
His boots through many changing years have well adorned
our feet
Enabling old and young to walk in ease and comfort sweet.
Farewell to friends and kinsfolk - shall we ever see them
more?
Or shall our bones be laid to rest on yonder far off
shore?
We know not - but we hope and trust we shall not seek in
vain
For Scottish hearts both leal
and true across th'Atlantic main.
Farewell Auld Scotland - it may prove a long and last
adieu;
But though the glistening tear should dint our last fond
look at you
Our heads are cool, are hearts are firm and we have for
our feet
A stack of LECKIE'S BOOTS AND SHOES FROM 50 COCKBURN
STREET.
JOSEPH LECKIE
CELEBRATED BOOT AND SHOE WAREHOUSE
50 COCKBURN STREET.
X-ray shoe fitting observation machine (Stirling Smith Gallery)
as used in most British shoeshops in the mid 20thcentury
Viewing screen for child users at front, adult users
and 2 side observers on top
Children's Foot Health Register
Centres of excellence for children's shoe fitting in UK and Eire
Our Aim: The Healthy Growth and Development of Young
Feet.
All Members of the Children's Foot Health Register are committed to the
highest standard of shoe fitting for young, growing feet. To protect such
standards members guarantee to provide comprehensive training for staff and
offer children's shoes in whole and half sizes and in up to 4 width fittings.
FASCINATING
FOOT FACTS
·
The average adult takes
in excess of 18,000 steps a day and it's even more for kids.
·
Most feet walk about
70,000 miles in a lifetime - that's four times around the earth.
·
Leonardo da Vinci called the foot a masterpiece of engineering.
·
Each foot has 26 bones,
19 muscles, over 100 ligaments and thousands of nerve endings.
·
Every time your foot hits
the floor when walking it's the equivalent of twice your body weight. Running
increases this to up to three times your body weight.
·
The foot has 250,000
sweat glands releasing about a quarter pint of perspiration every day.
·
Around 70% of foot problems
come from wearing the wrong footwear or ill-fitting shoes. The majority of
these are caused by ill-fitting footwear worn as a child.
·
Over £30 million is spent
annually on chiropody services for the over 60s and most of these foot problems
can be attributed to badly fitting shoes or unsuitable footwear in childhood.
TIPS FOR TINY TOOTSIES
These tips will help any concerned
parent make the right choices about family footcare
and adhering to them will be a real investment for your child's future.
Foot Care for Your Baby:
A
baby's foot is not simply a smaller version of an adult's. At birth the 26
bones that will eventually make up the adult foot are mostly cartilage making
them pliable and therefore susceptible to damage. To allow your baby's feet to
develop naturally without being distorted, always:
o
Keep bedclothes loose
fitting and light so the feet are not restricted.
o
Encourage your baby to
exercise its feet by kicking and similar actions. This will help develop the
foot muscles.
Foot Care for Your Toddler and Young Child:
o
Don't force a child into
walking. They will start when ready, which can be anytime between 10 and 18
months.
o
Encourage your child to
walk barefoot indoors as this allows the foot to develop and strengthen.
o
Once walking is
established, children are ready for their first shoes. Always ensure that shoes
are purchased in a reputable shoe shop, where children's feet are measured and
the fit of the shoes is checked by trained Shoe Fitters.
o
Inspect your child's feet
regularly, at least every bath time, as children often can't feel any damage
being done. Look for abnormalities such as cuts, breaks in the skin and any
unusual changes in colour or temperature.
DO'S
AND DON'TS FOR NEW PARENTS
DO..
o
Wait until your child is
on its feet and attempting the first tottering steps before considering buying
shoes. Then go to a shop with trained staff who will measure your child's feet
for length and width.
o
Choose shoes
that gives stability and protection to feet, which are still soft and
vulnerable at this young age. An ideal shoe should be soft and flexible, with
breathing leather uppers and a fully adjustable fastening for a snug fit.
o
Choose a shop that offers
shoes in width fittings and half sizes and that has trained staff who can expertly fit them. Less than a third of children are "average" fitting so foot measurement and
correct fitting are vital to a pair of feet.
o
Take your child back to
the shop for a fitting check after about six to eight weeks. Feet grow, on
average, two full sizes (18mm) a year until four or five years of age when
growth starts to slow down. As this growth is intermittent, regular checks are
essential and a good shoe shop will offer these free.
DON'T..
o
Put young children in
socks or babygros that are too small for their feet.
This could cause their toes to curl, which can result in permanent damage to
the growing bones.
o
Buy synthetic socks or
shoes as they won't allow your child's feet to breathe properly and this could
lead to conditions such as athlete's foot. What's more, synthetic materials
will only stretch so far, and the resulting pressure could again damage a
child's growing foot.
TIPS
FOR BACK TO SCHOOL
o
Back to school is the
busiest time for shoe shops. If you can, shop early to avoid the worst of the
queues and to have more choice.
o
Make sure your child is
wearing the type of socks that they will be normally be
wearing with their school shoes when you buy them. This will help ensure a good
fit.
o
Measuring feet is only a
guide. A good shoe shop will always check the fit of both shoes on the feet.
o
Choose a shoe that gives
stability and protection to feet, which are still soft and vulnerable. An ideal
shoe should be soft and flexible, with breathing leather uppers and a fully adjustable
fastening for a snug fit.
o
Choose a shop that offers
shoes in width fittings and half sizes and that has trained staff who can expertly fit them. Less than a third of children are
'average' fitting so foot measurement and correct fitting are vital to a pair
of feet.
o
Fitted shoes have growing
room to ensure good fit throughout the life of the shoe. It's not necessary to
buy a larger shoe than one which is fitted. In fact, shoes that are too big can
do as much damage as shoes that are too small and they look scruffy much more
quickly.
o
After a summer in
trainers or sandals school shoes will feel strange. Encourage your child to
wear their new shoes for an hour or two around the house before the school term
commences. On a normal school day a child wears shoes for around 10 hours and a
little time to get used to new shoes before the first day of term is very
helpful.
o
A good shoe shop will
offer a free fitting check. For a school-age child this will be after 3-4
months and then as required until the shoes are outgrown. Most children of
school age grow around a whole shoe size each year.
BOOTS & SHOES
part of the Penicuik Community Development Trust Open House
programme
image © 1999 http://www.users.waitrose.com/~ianclare/lejog1.htm
Upcoming events Earlier events
Penicuik Greats Penicuik
Makers
OLD TOOLS exhibition ART exhibition CINEMA
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Community Development Trust