When the toes lie as closely together as they can without crowding—parallel, the middle ones at least, to the line of the foot’s length—there is but little variation on the inside of the foot from a straight line. The cuts 16 and 17 represent, one a foot in which the toes are drawn together just enough to touch, and one as they usually appear in the common boot. [Illustration: FIG. 16.—TOES PARALLEL.] [Illustration: FIG. 17.—TOES DRAWN TO AN ANGLE.] Here it may be observed that in Fig. 16 the lines drawn past the sides of the toes are nearly parallel to the line through the foot’s centre, while in Fig. 17 they quickly form an angle with it. Dr. Camper’s rule, strictly interpreted, would have made a right-and-left last of the most extreme character, but by narrowing the toe from inside and outside alike, it was converted into one no better than straight. What is now proposed is, that we take this rule and amend it by providing _that when the inside of the sole has the right form to let the great toe lie parallel to the line through the middle, any further narrowing of the toe shall be done from the outside only_; and as the ball of the last projects slightly over the bottom or sole, it is conceived that the inside margin of the _sole_ should be nothing less than straight, and parallel to the line of the foot’s length, from the ball forward, in order to give the great toe the position claimed. This would make a last a little more straight on the inside than the one described as the _Compromise_. We will call it the _Excelsior_, and represent it by a diagram, Fig. 18. [Illustration: FIG. 18.—SOLE OF EXCELSIOR LAST.] Our reason for insisting that the toe be narrowed only from the outside is the fact already stated, that the consequences of bending the great toe are far worse than those of bending the little ones. Besides, it is not intended to draw them together any farther than to make them touch, and this can be done without distorting any of them, by leaving the great one in its natural position, or nearly so, and making all the curve of the sole on the outside. The outside toes being shortest, they permit this to be done without bending them more than a very little. Of course it must be remembered that the sole cannot be narrowed beyond a certain limit without injury to the foot. A medium width of toe is the narrowest that is allowable, consistently with the object we have in view. The _last-maker_ will understand that the thickest part of the toe of the last is not to be at the middle, but at the inside, in order to give room for the great toe in the straight-ahead position claimed for it. At the ball the wood is expected to project, as in all lasts, very slightly over the bottom.