In the town where we shopped in the 50's was a shoe shop. Not a shoe store to sell shoes but a shoe shop to repair shoes. I doubt that such a store exists now. I remember the gentleman who ran the shop but can't remember his name. He had a thriving business.
I wore down the heels of my shoes long before the shoes were worn out. I can remember that lots of times I wore my Sunday shoes so That I could watch as a new half sole was applied to my school shoes. He could even stretch shoes a bit so I didn't out grow them so fast.
I remember once that the shoe man, as I called him, suggested to Daddy that metal taps could be applied to the heel and the heels wouldn't wear out as quick. Mama was against it for various reasons. Too much noise, sliding down, getting in trouble in school, just to name a few, but I could wrap Daddy around my finger with a sob, a smile, and a couple of, please, please.
I had heard a famous tap dancer and heard him tapping on the radio. Now I was'a'gonna do that just like him. Sure I was!
I did get scolded in school for showing out with my taps and I did fall and skin my elbows falling on the concrete porch. One day I even got my tap hung up on a nail and tore it almost off plus part of the rubber sole came off. That did it for the taps. Daddy got the damaged sole replaced and brought the shoes home minus the taps. Thus ended my tap dancing career.
Dryers was the store where you bought new shoes. Mama usually took me in there so I couldn't talk Daddy in to anything.
We didn't get shoes every time we had a whim but got them when we needed them. I had Church shoes, white in summer, black in winter, and school shoes. I needed school shoes badly I guess. Mamma was sick so Daddy took me to Dryers Shoe Store to buy my shoes.
I sat down and Daddy told the lady what we needed. Everyone knew the difference in Church and School shoes then even the clerks in the stores.
She brought out several pairs for Daddies inspection. I spotted a pair of red shoes and I wanted them. The lady put them on my foot and I knew right away they were too tight. I also knew that Daddy would squeeze them at the toes to see if they were long enough. I scrunched up my toes as far as I could and Daddy felt where my 'Toe' was and he was satisfied. I got my red shoes and had been wearing them to school for about two weeks. They really hurt my toes but I wasn't about to say anything.
One night I was sitting in the floor barefoot and Daddy said, "Clydene what is wrong with your toes"? "Nothing Daddy Why"? The jig was up. My toes were an awful sight I guess because Mamma and Daddy both had a fit as they examined my toes. When they figured out why my toes were that way. Daddy said, "Clydene why in the world did you get those shoes if you knew they were going to hurt your feet"? I told him that I wanted those red shoes and I knew he wouldn't let me have them too little. Mamma and Daddy both told me ,"Clydene they had other sizes I'm sure. You could have still had the red shoes". Well heck fire I didn't even think of that. Shoot fire!
They couldn't afford another pair of shoes right then so My Auntie bought me another
pair. No they were not the red shoes I wanted but I wore them anyway.
I was about nine then and should have known better but I wanted that pair of red shoes and cost my Parents more money later. GOOD GRIEF!!!
