More especially is this the case when the leather used is _thick_, _hard_, or _stiff_. Much of the cheap and inferior goods offered for sale ready-made are seriously objectionable on this account. The uppers themselves are—a large share of them, at least—thick and hard, while the pegged soles are made as stiff as possible, to give the appearance of thick, solid, and serviceable leather in that part. Many a poor man is thus actually hobbled, to a greater or less extent, by the miserable foot-gear his poverty compels him to wear. As there is but very little _bend_ to them, _there is but little use of the muscles of the foot_. It is cramped or unnaturally pressed upon, even though having plenty of room, and might almost as well be cased in iron as in the stiff kip or cowhide boot or brogan. The result is weakness, flattening, and a tendency to other kinds of distortion. We believe the frequency of flat-foot among some of the poorer classes of people may thus be easily accounted for. The peasantry of other countries are even less fortunate than our own. Saying nothing of wooden shoes, the leather ones they wear are not only thick and stiff in material, but the soles are often filled with stout iron nails besides. With such things on the feet there can be no spring to the toes, no use for the forward part of the arch, no play to the muscles. The feet can hardly be otherwise than weak and flat. When tightness is added to stiffness the effect must be still worse. Children must feel these bad consequences more than adults, for being less firm in their muscles and bones, they have less power of resisting the cramping, weakening influence. Some of the boots manufactured in this country for boys can be recommended only as a slightly less evil than going barefoot in cold weather. One other reason is, very probably, _lack of development_. The calf of the leg is but partially developed in some races of men, and only comes to its full growth in conditions of civilized society that call for the use of all its muscles. So it is confidently believed that all those steps and motions which give lightness, grace, ease, and elegance to the movements of the body, such as occur in most varieties of the dance, _and particularly such as demand the use of the toes_, have a tendency to develop and strengthen the foot’s arch. As _its_ full development tends to create easy, light, and graceful movements, _so these in turn help it to grow into full strength and beauty_. Hence the well-developed calf, the well-arched foot, and the graceful step will almost invariably be found to go together.