Rusty Saber: Reader response confirms column's statement

It isn't often that I can repeat letters from the Rusty Saber mailbag. Most column feedback comes in the form of oral comments; however, mail and oral comments have something in common. Both often have salutations beginning with the letter "Y." You know, something flattering, like, "You blockhead!"

Wonder-of-wonders, the Rusty Saber from the first week of July elicited a letter and a comment, neither of which suggested that I'm the missing link to the Neanderthal Man. Among items covered in said column were ugly women's shoes (the women aren't ugly; the shoes are ugly). I called them faux combat boots, and the currently fashionable dark style of men's suits, shirts and ties, was dubbed as faux Al Capone, because it makes wearers look like extras from gangster movies. Dipping into the sparse Rusty mailbag, here's the printable letter from Rusty reader Diana Chase of Rogersville. She describes an encounter with ugly shoes. Lest the allegation be made that I overstated the sheer repulsiveness of the latest fashions in ladies' footwear, this letter validates that opinion:

"I just read with some amusement your opinion on ugly shoes for women. I just happened to buy my first pair of these ugly clunkers last week. I didn't want to buy big ugly shoes, but you know what? There isn't anything else out there! I needed some casual black shoes and finally decided on some that looked sort of like leprechaun shoes, or maybe pilgrim shoes. They make me much taller, which is OK, because I'm less than 5 feet tall. I have also noticed that they make me hit the gas and brake pedals a lot harder too. My niece loves them, but I bought these huge, ugly things only because I couldn't find anything like I wanted and they happened to be on clearance. Women's shoes happen to be a sore subject with me. I have been complaining for a long time about how ugly they are. I also have a bigger complaint. I wear a size 5, and about 95 percent of shoes don't come any smaller than a size 6. I know that women's feet are getting bigger, but those of us with feet sized 5 1/2 or smaller are still here, and we need shoes too. Why not complain about shoemakers? They are the ones who put out these monstrosities, and they are the ones who frequently don't even make shoes smaller than a size 6. I guess I should complain to them. I just wanted you to know that not all of us women want or like the big ugly things. I have been putting off buying shoes because of the current selection, or lack thereof, but my other shoes are worn out and need replacing. There is one bright spot. My husband has a shoe catalog and I have ordered some that look like what I have been wanting. I just hope they fit!

Thanks for listening."

Diana Chase

There you have it, an actual reader confirming the correctness of the comments appearing in this column. It's obvious that Diana has excellent taste because she "read with some amusement" my comments on ugly shoes. She was amused; superb taste, indeed. If all women were to speak their minds as did Diana, combat boots might be relegated to, well, to combat. We can only hope that the catalog selections will free her from the curse of faux combat boots. Thank you for your insightful letter, Diana.

Although it was an oral comment from an unnamed reader, I've put this one in the Rusty mailbag. He agreed with the unsightliness of faux Al Capone, but added that I should have complained about three-button sport and suit coats. I should have ranted against clothing manufacturers who seem intent on forcing three-button coats on us, regardless of how unattractive they may be. He's right. They are the in thing. The only way to look good wearing one is to leave the coat unbuttoned. Button the top two buttons, and the wearer looks like he's wearing a straight jacket. Button all three and the wearer looks like he should be put in a straight jacket.

I'm betting that as soon as all men have nothing but three-button coats, they will go out of style.

(Joe McAdoo is former chairman of the communication department at Drury University and a Springfield public relations consultant.)