_Fig. 5._ _Fig. 6._ _Fig. 7._ _Fig. 8._] In eastern countries we find the Japanese wearing a shoe of rice and straw woven together (Fig. 5). This material is very light and soon wears out; so, when starting on a journey of any length, it is customary to take a number of pairs of shoes with one, leaving the old ones along the roadside as they become unfit for use. The Japanese, on entering a house, observe the same rule as the Turk on going into his mosque, always taking off their shoes and leaving them at the threshold, lest they might soil the door-mats, for which they have a peculiar and marked respect. The military in Japan wear a kind of clog, covered with movable metallic plaques (Fig. 4). To this is attached a sole of wood or plaited straw, which is held on the foot by means of a roll passing between the toes. The Chinese, we all know, have, for ages past, religiously devoted themselves to dwarfing the feet of their women of the higher classes, so that it is not at all uncommon to find a full-grown woman with a foot as small as a child’s of four or five with us. 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. [Illustration: _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. Among the Persians we find that in ancient times one of low stature was generally looked upon with dishonor; hence arose high heels to repair the deficiency of nature. At first they were worn only by actors and actresses on the stage, but were afterwards adopted by all classes, even those whose stature required no additional height blindly conforming to the prevailing fashion, as many people do at the present day. Some of the shoes worn in Eastern countries, at different times, have been very interesting (Figs. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14). [Illustration: _Fig. 12._ _Fig. 13._ _Fig. 14._]