When shoes had silver tips

A recently discovered advertisement from Moorefield offers a glimpse into how families once shopped for children’s footwear — and how seriously people took the task.

Printed on the reverse side of the ad is this pitch:

“A choice of assortment of boots and shoes. New goods and bottom prices. Competition defied. The only sensible shoe for children are those with the silver or the black tip upon them. We have them and other great bargains.”

The ad is from Hopkins & Wallace, dealers in “boots, shoes and rubbers,” along with dry goods and general merchandise in Moorefield.

That mention of shoe “tips” brings back memories for many local residents. Even years later, shoe stores still offered ways to make children’s shoes last longer. When I was a child, we bought shoes at McNeal Dry Goods in Flushing, and one of the added values was that they would put protective tips on the toes — and a metal cleat on the heel — to keep the shoes from wearing down too quickly.

It’s a small detail, but it’s also a reminder of a time when a pair of shoes was expected to hold up through every season, every sidewalk, and every schoolyard.