Understanding X-Rays in Shoe Stores
What were X-Rays in Shoe Stores, and why did we think it was a good idea?
Let’s hop in our historic time machine and visit the multi-purpose world of mid-20th century shoe shopping. Imagine stepping into your local shoe store and, along with finding the right pair of Oxfords or Mary Janes, also stepping up to an eerie, box-shaped machine emitting glowing radiation. Welcome to the Shoe-Fitting Fluoroscope, folks.
What was this shoe-selling anomaly?
This machine, more commonly known as a Shoe-fitting X-ray machine, was essentially a gimmicky gadget used primarily in the shoe-selling industry between the 1920s and the 1960s. The idea was simple yet astonishing: let customers peek inside their shoes (and their feet) using an x-ray view. Proof, they said, that the shoe fits.
But what could go wrong, right?
Well, a lot, as it turns out. As cool as Superman-esque X-ray vision may seem in concepts, one must remember what powers Clark Kent’s nifty trick: radiation. Yes, the same thing we now warn pregnant women to refrain from or bricks of which you’d prefer not to receive as a birthday present.
Dodgy Dosages
These devices were emitting doses of radiation ludicrously higher than what we would consider safe today. In a stark “Whoopsie daisy!” moment for the shoe industry, we discovered that prolonged exposure to radiation could lead to an array of health problems, including the inevitable cancer. All for the perfect shoe fit! It was a bit like killing a mosquito with a cannonball.
A Sole-ful Goodbye
By the late 1960s, most places had hobbled away from the idea as health concerns became impossible to ignore. These sales gimmicks were now recognized as radiation-spewing death cabinets. They gradually disappeared from department stores, becoming a spooky footnote in the annals of retail history.
There’s a lesson to be learned here: For those perfect Oxfords or Mary Janes, it’s probably best to stick to the tried-and-true tactic of “Does this feel tight?” rather than “How rad do my metatarsals look?”.
Must read:
Strange technologies often mirrored stranger ideas. We compare the era’s quirks with Cold War oddities like spy cats in The CIA Tried to Spy with Cats: Operation Acoustic Kitty or What Happened to Acoustic Kitty.
Sources
Smithsonian Magazine
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/fitting-shoes-x-rays-180962282/
Livescience
https://www.livescience.com/63418-x-ray-shoe-fitters.html/