The coverings for flat feet should always be made upon lasts that are flat in the shank like themselves. A boot made on an arched last cannot possibly fit a foot whose sole is convex from heel to toe; hence such feet need lasts made expressly for them. The upper leather of the boot cannot, in this case, be too soft and pliable. It should be loose enough to allow the bending at the ball and the movements of the toes to be performed with ease. All the muscles must have a chance to act freely, and the blood be permitted to circulate without hindrance. At the same time there is no need of having big wrinkles, or any extra looseness in the fit of the boot, if only sufficient care is taken in the making. Another thing to be considered is the stiffening in the shank of boots, more particularly in those of men. If a short heel _must_ be worn a stiff shank had better go with it. A metallic shank, if strong, will then be useful, and perhaps generally effective in keeping up the foot. A shank-piece of leather is seldom so stiff but that a flat foot will bend it downward to adapt it to its own shape. So it will also depress the steel shank at the forward and middle portions, but probably not directly in front of the heel, where the most support is required. The shank, too, unless nearly straight, will be apt to press against the middle of the arch—or where the arch ought to be—so strongly as to cause discomfort; and it is a question if such a pressure does not itself tend to weaken the foot still more. It is thus doubtful if the metallic shank will be of any benefit to a flat foot, unless pains are taken to make it conform to a flat-bottomed last by straightening. Feet that are tolerably well-arched can wear it with no difficulty. But, further: the stiffness in the shank of the boot interferes somewhat with the flexibility of the foot, and therefore no more of it than is necessary to pull off the boot ought to be allowed. By far the best way, and the only right way, is to wear a heel sufficiently long to give all the needed support, and a shank as flexible as it can be without breaking or clinging to the foot when the boot is drawn off. The foot—at least the heel and arch portion—is then left unimpeded in its natural action. If it be said that the stiffness is intended to keep the sole in its proper shape, it is replied that when the boot fits naturally and easily—not loosely—it will keep its correct shape without any help, while if it does not it will tread badly in spite of all the stiffness.