THE LEATHERLESS SHOE.

Mataura Ensign, 18 April 1917, Page 4

THE LEATHERLESS SHOE.

OF FIBRE AND FABRIC. Fibre and fabric, fibre below , and fabric above, will probably make up the shoe of the near future (says an. American paper). Fibre and fabric tiro cheaper than leather—for the manufacturer—and for most purposes they will be made satisfactory. Once the public has given fibre soles a fair trial, tho dealers say, it will want no other kind. Some of the advantages of fibre soles over leather solos are given as follow :• They are easier to the foot; they make walking easier; ,they conform ."more 'readily to the foot, thus doing away with the necessity of broaking-in shoes; they are water-proof; they do not burn the feet, being a non-conductor of heat and cold they will be found cool in summer and warm in winter. Fibre soles are made of about 10 per cent, rubber, new and old reclaimed, about. 20 per cent .of ground rags, and leather buckings, and the balance. of zinc, litharge," hydro-carbon, sulphur, and minerals. Discarded automobile tyros helped along ,the coming of the > fibre solo. In thrashing over the pro-'-f;>j blem of wlint to do with tyre material that had already served its original purpose, the leading tyre and rubber manufacturers hit upon the.'scheme of converting these remnants ' into Iho marketable material now known as fibre. One large munition' manufacturer is prepared to turn out 500,000 i soles a day as soon as war orders cease. | A shoe that appears to be made of i-black calfskin and in reality has not. a speck of leather anywhere about ir>, has been produced by a reputable shoemaking firm in Brockton. The vamp and top are made of "near-skin," which is a rubberised product with a fabric base. The sole -and heel are of fibre composition, with an inner sole of , "hideite"; the counter is and the box for Hie toe is of a'similar composition material. The lining is cotton dock; facings and tongue are mutation leather, the backstay is "fabsta," and the welting a rubber composition. The result is a neat-appearing article, which, when it reaches the>. market, is expected to retail at about. 16s. A brown Oxford turned out by a l.ynn manufacturer has already iound a' big demand, and dealers expect to sell it in enormous quantities this summer. It has sole and heel of fibre, and the upper is made of a fabric which looks 'like canvas but is recommended by the makers as finer than canvas and far more durable. Dealers claim that / vou could tramp around all day in ihnt shoe without feeling a pinch. The retail price is about ltis Gd. The high cost of leather gave the impetus to the leatherlcss shoe, but it does not follow that the new. variety will be cheaper. "Manufacturers are hoping to make use of tlio variety in color and pal tern possible to the cloth tops to create a-craze for ''costume footwear." Jf shoppers can somehow be made to feel that only brown shoes should be worn with a brown suit, and only gray shoes with a gray suit, that striped shoe-tops are the thing for - morning wear, and a figured pattern is in better form for afternoons—profits" will flourish. ' '