Zapping Our Tiny Tootsies

It's getting more difficult to find shoes that fit well. Seems there's a small growth that's pitched camp on the outside of my foot. Perhaps it's the vestige of a sixth toe or some other evolutionary flaw. It doesn't hurt. It's not unsightly. It just means my shoes need a wider toe box. Certainly there are more important things to worry about.

But I can't help wondering where it came from. Analyzing the results of a self-inflicted multiple choice podiatry quiz, I just may have found the culprit: the shoe fitting x-ray machines found in nearly every shoe store in America during the 1950s. If you're of a certain age, you know what I'm talking about. If you're a tad younger, let me explain.

Before mom paid out hard earned cash for shoes we'd quickly outgrow, the salesperson would have us step into a contraption that zapped our tootsies right through the shoes. Next, wriggle your toes to be sure there was room for those young feet. The machine had three viewing points -- one for the customer (me), another for a companion (usually mom) and another for the salesperson.

Personally, I found this fluoroscope x-ray machine fascinating. It was like a really cool science fiction toy. I'd stick my feet in while the salesman was fetching additional shoes or mom was distracted. Hey, I was 5! What did I know about radiation?

As dangerous as it might have been, you have to admit it was a brilliant sales tool. Talk about finding the perfect fit. Interested in a fluoroscope x-ray shoe fitting machine factoid? According to the Internet, the same industrial engineer designed the Oscar Meyer Wiener Mobile.

Remember that next time you play Trivial Pursuit -- or eat a hot dog.