X-ray Machines Used to Help Fit Shoes

Plummer's Department Store x-ray shoe fitter.

The x-ray shoe fitter was a fluoroscope machine used to aid in the fitting of shoes.  Three different individuals, all from Milwaukee, claimed to have invented the machine in the early 1920s.  The X-Ray Shoe Fitter Corporation of Milwaukee was one of the two largest shoe-fitting fluoroscope manufacturers in the world.

To use the x-ray shoe fitter the customer would stand on a step at the base of the machine with their feet in two openings.  They could view the bones of their feet inside their shoes by looking into a viewing porthole. Shoe stores advertised the x-ray shoe fitter as a method of getting the best fit and therefore, the longest lasting shoes.  Although it did not actually help in properly fitting shoes it was popular with kids. 

By the late 1940s studies began warning of the long-term effect of radiation.  The amount of radiation varied greatly among the machines.  Most customers tried on several pairs of shoes before selecting a pair adding to the amount of exposure.  Children, who are more sensitive to radiation, particularly enjoyed viewing their feet even if they were not buying shoes.  Salesmen were also at a high risk from frequent exposure as the machines leaked a great amount of radiation.

Additional viewing portholes allowed the salesman and a parent
to also view the fit of a child's shoes.

In the early 1950s Plummer’s Department Store in downtown Brevard had such a machine.  Locals who were children at the time tell of the fun they had viewing the green images of their wiggling toes inside their shoes.  It provided entertainment for restless youngster while their mother’s shopped.

As the dangers of radiation exposure grew and regulations increased x-ray shoe fitters disappeared from shoe stores.  The fluorscope machine from Plummer’s Department Store is now part of the Transylvania Heritage museum collection.

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs.  For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-1820.