Using X-Rays in Shoe Stores
In the period spanning the 1920s to the 1970s, the act of trying on shoes underwent an unusual and potentially perilous evolution in many US and European shoe stores. During these five decades, a misguided attempt to infuse scientific innovation into the straightforward process of fitting shoes led to the widespread adoption of radiation machines known as Shoe-Fitting Fluoroscopes. Originating from Dr. Jacob Lowe’s demonstrations of a modified medical device at shoe retailer conventions, these metal constructions, standing approximately four feet high, were marketed under various names like X-Ray Shoe Fitters, Pedoscopes, and Foot-O-Scopes. Customers, seeking to assess the fit of potential footwear, would insert their feet into the device while standing and peer through a porthole to view an X-ray image of their feet adorned with the selected shoes. However, the well-intentioned notion of providing a visual assessment of fit was overshadowed by the lack of understanding and disregard for the potential dangers associated with unshielded X-rays, especially when directed towards sensitive areas.
The misguided use of X-Ray Shoe Fitters became apparent as shields were routinely removed to improve image quality or reduce the device’s weight, resulting in harmful X-rays scattering in all directions. While customers were unwittingly exposed to radiation equivalent to half a chest CT-scan during the brief viewing sessions, the cumulative effects of trying on multiple pairs of shoes heightened the health risks. Negligent machine maintenance practices, coupled with some devices emitting radiation levels up to 300 times the established safe limit, exacerbated the situation. Those most adversely affected were the shoe salespeople, subjected to repeated exposure to stray radiation, emphasizing the serious health consequences stemming from this ill-conceived attempt to enhance the shoe-fitting experience.
