Comments on: Shoe-Fitting X-Ray Machine

By: Nelda E

Nelda E — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 03:02:55 +0000

They had these in the 40's when I was a child....I thought it was so exciting to see my toes! It was at the Red Goose Shoe Store in Ft Worth Texas....after buying shoes you could pull the neck of a big plastic red goose and it would lay an egg with a prize.....what a simple and fun life.

By: Herb L.

Herb L. — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:17:11 +0000

I've got one for sale too!

hlienau@gmail.com

By: mike20

mike20 — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 00:03:05 +0000

i have one of these would anyone be intrested in buying it from me? mike2020@live.com

By: P Slater

P Slater — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:43:56 +0000

In these days when much has been learned from Space, is it not possible to reintroduce these machines and incorporate some safety shield to protect users'? These machines would be a boon today when much footwear is produced globally. As is well known often a person who's shoe size is generally say size 5 can manage with a smaller size depending on the manufacturer.
I would appreciate a direct comment, please via my e-mail.

By: Edward K. Hudson

Edward K. Hudson — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:58:01 +0000

I've been researching these devices and actually they seem to have been in use from the 1920's through the late 1950's, although I found references that some were still in use as late as the early 1970's (especially in Britain and Canada)! The common "dose" would be 20 seconds or so although some machines could be set from 5 to 45 seconds with a timer; later, legislation made the limit 5 seconds. In the 40's, the American Standards Association established a “safe standard or tolerance dose,” that the feet receive no more than 2R per 5 second exposure. It seems that 60 percent of the tested machines were in the "safe range," although overall the range was found to be 7R to 14R per 20 second exposure. I haven't found any reports of injury to customers, but the doses were certainly higher than is considered safe now, and there were a couple of recorded operator injuries (burnt leg, dermatitis of the hand).

By: ted

ted — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:33:02 +0000

Discontinued along with the x-ray underwear and bathing suit fitters.

By: salsa

salsa — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 07:23:58 +0000

I had an engineering professor who described these as an example of how we reveal increasingly complex and potentially harmful phenomena as we apply materials science without discretion.

Then he went on to explain how he used to run away from his mother when they went shopping-- he would sprint to the shoe store that had an X-Ray shoe fitter machine and stare into it for what seemed like hours, just flicking his toes around inside his shoes and giggling.

By: Barbwire

Barbwire — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 05:07:04 +0000

I loved those things as a child. I don't think I suffered any damage.

By: Dave9

Dave9 — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 03:44:29 +0000

There was a law on the books for a long time in California making these illegal.

By: cybele

cybele — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 01:29:11 +0000

I have a distinct recollection of using one of those at a Buster Brown store in the 70s.

Do I have foot cancer now?