A shoe horn is used to help manipulate the foot into the shoe. It is used to firstly hold the tongue in place while your forefoot slips underneath, then it is slid round to the back of the shoe and the heel can be pushed down before the shoehorn is removed.
It used to be (in the "good old days") that every shoe shop worthy of the name would be able to sell you a shoe horn. A shoe shop these days has supermarket-style racks of shoes that the customer selects and tries themselves. On first coming to the US, I was shocked that no-one came to help me try my shoes; although I was admittedly not in a classy place. Still, it was not until today that I saw a shoe horn for sale anywhere, in shoe trees, which I will go back for.
So now I can put my shoe horn on the table by the front door and more easily slip my feet into my shoes without ruining them. Perhaps this pair will last a little longer because I'm not busting them to bits by cramming my feet in. We shall see.
A little history
Shoehorns first appeared in the late Middle Ages or during the Renaissance. In English, a "schoying horne" is mentioned in the 15th century, while the French term "chausse-pied" only appears in the latter half of the 16th century, so perhaps the English beat the French to a good idea about clothing.. Between 1563 and 1566, Elizabeth I of England purchased 18 shoehorns from her shoemaker, Garrett Johnson. In 1567, she ordered four more made of steel from blacksmiths. These apparently sufficed for a few years. Not that she needed all of them herself, maybe they were gifts for members of her household. "Merry Christmas, chef!" "Oooh, lovely, thank you, your Highness. What is it?"
It has to be said that the people who owned shoehorns were generally buying better-quality shoes, probably hand-made custom fit, hence why they've fallen out of favour because who has handmade leather shoes these days?
BQ24
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