Plan To Solve Problem Of Narrow Fit In Shoes

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29278, 9 August 1960, Page 2

Plan To Solve Problem Of Narrow Fit In Shoes

Women who have been searching fruitlessly for narrow fitting shoes can now take heart. Mr W. A. Downing, chairman of the Christchurch group of the footwear section of the Canterbury and Westland Retailers’ Association, has a plan to help customers with narrow feet—if they cooperate. His suggestion is that women who need narrow fittings should supply their retailer with a list of their requirements. On this list they should write their name, address, shoe fitting, style, and colours wanted. They should also state whether they would like a teen-age style, matron, semi-matroh, semi-fashion, or high-fashion shoes, and the type of toe and heel required. “Any other comment about their troubles should also be expressed on the list,” Mr Downing' said. “We want to help.” Statistics Required Retailers will be asked to take these lists to a meeting of the Christchurch group and statistics will be compiled to find out why customers have not been satisfied in the past. Retailers will also be asked to take their own store size-lists to the meeting and from all facts tabled a lead will be taken, he said. “I also hope it will be possible for retailers to hold a ‘Narrow Fittings Week,’ when they will display all their stocks in this category,’’ said Mr Downing. Lists of large-sized shoes manufactured have been available for some time for upwards of size 7 in English fittings (9A in American fittings), but many customers, apparently, were not aware of this service, he said. Members of the Tall Girls’ Club, which Mr Down-

ing helped to found, have been supplied satisfactorily from these lists when they specified their requirements. Question Of Demand Shoes in A fittings should be easy to buy; so should double A’s if retailers know the demand for them. .“But it is uneconomic for retailers to stock many pairs of double A shoes, just in case someone may possibly ask for them, when there is such a wide range of styles and colours being made,” he said. Triple and quadruple A’s are very difficult to procure in New Zealand because there has not been the demand for them. “I know of only one last in a quadruple A fitting and that is a fairly matronly type of shoe. It can, however, be found on requirement,” he said. Mr Downing mentioned that women with narrow feet were often the most difficult, to please. Until statistics on narrow shoes are compiled to guide retailers, customers still have this service offered—they can have their shoes specially made for them at a small extra cost.