FRENCH SIZE MAIMING.— This term applies to a system (which probably did not originate in France) of marking American or English size and widths. It is applied. in fact, to a variety of systems, the principal feature being that it is a cipher or secret method, which does not reveal to the customer the actual size of the shoe. A great variety are in use — too many, inject, as it makes trouble for the manufacturer. In marking the widths, instead of using the ordinary lettering, arbitrary numbers are used. For example, if you put down the number 10 to indicate AA widths, then 11 would represent A, 12 would represent B, etc. Your key sheet for widths would stand thus: Widths 'AAABCDEEE Your width markings 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 In marking the sizes, start in the same way with some arbitrary number. For example, use 20 for size 1, 20- for sizes 11, etc. Your key to size marks would stand thus: Sizes 1 1 f 2 21 .3 31 4 41 etc.
Your marks 20 20- 21 21- 22 22- 23 23- etc.
In using such a system, the width number would be set down first, with the size number following. For example,
the mark for a 4B shoe would be simply the figures 1223. The "12," as shown above, would stand for B width and "23" for 4 in sire.
Stock being once marked in this way, all that would be necessary for the sales force would be to keep in mind the key and translate backward. For example, a shoe is ' marked 1521-; the "5" of the 15 indicates the fifth letter of the alphabet or E, which gives the width; add one to the "1," which gives you size 2, the dash indicating the half size; the shoe is therefore a No. 21, E width. The second and fourth figures are the princil ones. This is only an example of many such keys. The principal pur pose of all such markings is to avoid all controversy with customers over sizes. Many strong firms, however, have discarded them and have educated their customers to depend upon the store's expert knowledge of fitting, with out regard to the marked size. (See Size.)