The front part of the upper leather must be broad enough for the free movement of all the toes in walking and in springing; when it does not give room enough for the toes to spread outward and forward in walking, they are bent on themselves. This makes the descent of hills and all active exercise and games very painful. Tight upper leather is also productive of chilblains and corns. The shoe should be slightly longer than the foot when the entire weight of the body is placed upon it, and sufficiently broad for the foot to spread in walking; but, at the same time, the shoe must fit snugly about the heel and instep, or else the foot will slip forward in walking, and all the evil effects of too short a shoe will result. The heel of the shoe must be broad and low. High heels force the foot to keep perpetually and unnaturally on the stretch; if they are worn in early youth, they may bring about permanent deformity of the skeleton and of the foot. Moreover, the high heel interferes with the natural walk, in which the pressure of the foot on the ground passes from the heel to the toes. The high heel requires that the front of the foot should be set down first instead of the heel. The result is an awkward tripping gait and a short step, which is very fatiguing. This is one of the causes for woman’s frequent dislike for exercise in the open air, such as walking, mountaineering, games, etc., and so the general health is affected. Again, from the esthetic point of view, the size of the foot must be in proportion to that of the body. Artists declare that every foot that has worn a shoe is deformed, and so, when they wish to make a study of the foot, they go to the shores of Italy, where the peasant women have never worn shoes. Paget’s description of a perfect female foot is great breadth and fulness of instep, a well-marked great toe, a long second toe, projecting a little beyond the great toe, and a very small little toe. Since the feet are the part of the body to come in direct contact with the greatest amount of cold, whether on the floor of the house or the pavement of the street, it is a matter of prime importance to the entire body that they should be warmly clad. While for house wear and in the summer time a French kid is a most comfortable shoe, for street wear and outdoor exercise in cold weather a heavier leather with thick soles is requisite as a protection against the cold and damp. Rubbers should always be worn when the pavements are damp, even if it is not raining, and in snow-storms and very heavy rains cloth gaiters should be worn over the shoes, to keep the ankles dry, and later to protect them from the wet skirts.