BOOTS & SHOES
part of the Penicuik Community Development Trust Open House programme
featuring
LASTS for making
and mending shoes
RUBBER WADERS
with metal tackets to give a grip on smooth slippy
pebbles on the river bottom
MOON BOOTS
SKATES used
on Penicuik Low Pond
Children's
Foot Health Register
and
much more!
Children's Foot
Health Register
Centre of excellence for children's shoe fitting:
Young & Co., Eastgate,
Peebles
Young & Co
kindly lent a B fitting Start-Rite children’s shoe. Fifty years ago children’s (and adult) feet
in this area were much narrower than they are today.
WESTMORELAND
SHOEMAKERS
AT
Reformatories and
Industrial Schools
In 1836, on the
A child, under 14 years of age, could be sent to an
A British government report in 1884 stated that some 2,108
boys and 133 girls had already emigrated to the colonies from institutions in
see The Golden Bridge: Young Immigrants to Canada,
1833-1939 by Marjorie Kohli
The Institutions in Scotland
Glasgow had a Girls Reformatory in the city, The Maryhill Industrial School for Girls, and out-of-town the
East Chapelton Reformatory for girls from 1854
Paisley’s Kibble Institute (Kibble Reformatory) dates from 1859.
Edinburgh had one of the most famous of these
institutions, the out-of-town
see The Golden Bridge: Young Immigrants to Canada,
1833-1939 by Marjorie Kohli
Advertisement on the front page of The Scotsman
THE EMIGRANT'S FAREWELL
Farewell to bonnie
The land of love and freedom of fair women and brave men.
The good ship now outspreads her wings to bear us o'er
the foam
Far, far from
Farewell to him who served me well with famous boots and
shoes
A parting word of gratitude to him we can't refuse
His boots through many changing years have well adorned
our feet
Enabling old and young to walk in ease and comfort sweet.
Farewell to friends and kinsfolk - shall we ever see them
more?
Or shall our bones be laid to rest on yonder far off
shore?
We know not - but we hope and trust we shall not seek in
vain
For Scottish hearts both leal
and true across th'Atlantic main.
Farewell Auld Scotland - it may prove a long and last
adieu;
But though the glistening tear should dint our last fond
look at you
Our heads are cool, are hearts are firm and we have for
our feet
A stack of LECKIE'S BOOTS AND SHOES FROM 50 COCKBURN
STREET.
JOSEPH LECKIE
CELEBRATED BOOT AND SHOE WAREHOUSE
50 COCKBURN STREET.
X-ray shoe
fitting observation machine (Stirling
Smith Gallery)
as used in most
British shoeshops in the mid 20thcentury
Viewing screen
for child users at front, adult users and 2 side observers on top
Children's Foot
Health Register
Centres of excellence for children's shoe fitting in UK
and Eire
Our Aim: The
Healthy Growth and Development of Young Feet.
All Members of the Children's
Foot Health Register are committed to the highest standard of shoe fitting for
young, growing feet. To protect such standards members guarantee to provide
comprehensive training for staff and offer children's shoes in whole and half
sizes and in up to 4 width fittings.
FASCINATING FOOT FACTS
·
The average adult takes in excess of 18,000 steps a day and it's
even more for kids.
·
Most feet walk about 70,000 miles in a lifetime - that's four
times around the earth.
·
Leonardo da Vinci called the foot a
masterpiece of engineering.
·
Each foot has 26 bones, 19 muscles, over 100 ligaments and
thousands of nerve endings.
·
Every time your foot hits the floor when walking it's the
equivalent of twice your body weight. Running increases this to up to three
times your body weight.
·
The foot has 250,000 sweat glands releasing about a quarter pint
of perspiration every day.
·
Around 70% of foot problems come from wearing the wrong footwear
or ill-fitting shoes. The majority of these are caused by ill-fitting footwear
worn as a child.
·
Over £30 million is spent annually on chiropody services for the
over 60s and most of these foot problems can be attributed to badly fitting
shoes or unsuitable footwear in childhood.
TIPS FOR TINY
TOOTSIES
These tips will help any concerned parent make the right choices
about family footcare and adhering to them will be a
real investment for your child's future.
Foot Care for
Your Baby:
A baby's foot is not simply a smaller version of an adult's. At
birth the 26 bones that will eventually make up the adult foot are mostly
cartilage making them pliable and therefore susceptible to damage. To allow
your baby's feet to develop naturally without being distorted, always:
o
Keep bedclothes loose fitting and light so the feet are not restricted.
o
Encourage your baby to exercise its feet by kicking and similar
actions. This will help develop the foot muscles.
Foot Care for Your Toddler and
Young Child:
o
Don't force a child into walking. They will start when ready, which
can be anytime between 10 and 18 months.
o
Encourage your child to walk barefoot indoors as this allows the
foot to develop and strengthen.
o
Once walking is established, children are ready for their first
shoes. Always ensure that shoes are purchased in a reputable shoe shop, where
children's feet are measured and the fit of the shoes is checked by trained
Shoe Fitters.
o
Inspect your child's feet regularly, at least every bath time,
as children often can't feel any damage being done. Look for abnormalities such
as cuts, breaks in the skin and any unusual changes in colour
or temperature.
DO'S AND DON'TS FOR NEW PARENTS
DO..
o
Wait until your child is on its feet and attempting the first
tottering steps before considering buying shoes. Then go to a shop with trained
staff who will measure your child's feet for length and width.
o
Choose shoes that gives stability and
protection to feet, which are still soft and vulnerable at this young age. An
ideal shoe should be soft and flexible, with breathing leather uppers and a
fully adjustable fastening for a snug fit.
o
Choose a shop that offers shoes in width fittings and half sizes
and that has trained staff who can expertly fit them.
Less than a third of children are "average"
fitting so foot measurement and correct fitting are vital to a pair of feet.
o
Take your child back to the shop for a fitting check after about
six to eight weeks. Feet grow, on average, two full sizes (18mm) a year until
four or five years of age when growth starts to slow down. As this growth is intermittent,
regular checks are essential and a good shoe shop will offer these free.
DON'T..
o
Put young children in socks or babygros
that are too small for their feet. This could cause their toes to curl, which
can result in permanent damage to the growing bones.
o
Buy synthetic socks or shoes as they won't allow your child's
feet to breathe properly and this could lead to conditions such as athlete's
foot. What's more, synthetic materials will only stretch so far, and the
resulting pressure could again damage a child's growing foot.
TIPS FOR BACK TO SCHOOL
o
Back to school is the busiest time for shoe shops. If you can,
shop early to avoid the worst of the queues and to have more choice.
o
Make sure your child is wearing the type of socks that they will
be normally be wearing with their school shoes when
you buy them. This will help ensure a good fit.
o
Measuring feet is only a guide. A good shoe shop will always
check the fit of both shoes on the feet.
o
Choose a shoe that gives stability and protection to feet, which
are still soft and vulnerable. An ideal shoe should be soft and flexible, with
breathing leather uppers and a fully adjustable fastening for a snug fit.
o
Choose a shop that offers shoes in width fittings and half sizes
and that has trained staff who can expertly fit them.
Less than a third of children are 'average' fitting so foot measurement and
correct fitting are vital to a pair of feet.
o
Fitted shoes have growing room to ensure good fit throughout the
life of the shoe. It's not necessary to buy a larger shoe than one which is
fitted. In fact, shoes that are too big can do as much damage as shoes that are
too small and they look scruffy much more quickly.
o
After a summer in trainers or sandals school shoes will feel
strange. Encourage your child to wear their new shoes for an hour or two around
the house before the school term commences. On a normal school day a child
wears shoes for around 10 hours and a little time to get used to new shoes
before the first day of term is very helpful.
o
A good shoe shop will offer a free fitting check. For a
school-age child this will be after 3-4 months and then as required until the
shoes are outgrown. Most children of school age grow around a whole shoe size
each year.
BOOTS & SHOES
part of the Penicuik Community Development Trust Open House programme
image © 1999 http://www.users.waitrose.com/~ianclare/lejog1.htm
Upcoming events Earlier events
Penicuik
Greats Penicuik
Makers
PCDT events in the Town Hall:
OLD
TOOLS exhibition ART exhibition CINEMA
More about Penicuik Community Development
Trust