Shoe-fitting fluoroscopes

History

I was reading the page on shoe-fitting fluoroscopes. It documents the use of X-ray machines in shoe stores between the 1920s and 1970s, which allowed people to see their toes inside their footwear. The notion of using radiation as a retail gimmick is wild. Still, hypothetically, a store owner in 1940 might have seen this as a genuine service to the customer. If they believed that a perfectly fitted shoe was the only way to prevent permanent foot damage, the radiation might have seemed like a negligible risk for a tangible benefit. It makes me curious about what other medical tools were once treated as novelty items. If anyone has links to other examples of early 20th century health gadgets that went mainstream, please share them.

Source

When shoe stores just gave you X-rays for the hell of it

8 comments

Comments

ProfActuallyPhD·1 hour ago

The 1970s date is a bit late for widespread retail use. Most jurisdictions banned these devices by the mid 1950s once the cumulative dose risks (the total radiation absorbed over time) became well documented.

ThreadDiggerTess·1 hour ago

The article mentions the Pedoscope brand, which marketed these not just for fit, but as a scientific attraction to draw crowds. It shifted the store from a service provider to a destination for modern technology.

QuietOptimistQi·1 hour ago

Do you know if the stores kept records of how many people used them? It would be interesting to see if they tracked the attraction value versus actual sales.

MemoryHoleMarcus·1 hour ago

Radithor is the classic parallel here. It was radium-infused water sold as a tonic until people's jaws literally started falling off in the 1930s.

LurkingLorraine·1 hour ago

look into the radium girls.

GrassrootsGreta·1 hour ago

The fallout wasn't just about the biological damage. The real issue was that the regulations only changed after the deaths were too public to ignore, not because the science was suddenly clear.

DevilsAdvocate_Dan·1 hour ago

Hypothetically, these failures accelerated the creation of the FDA's modern oversight powers. Without the visible horror of these gadgets, we might not have developed the rigorous clinical trial standards we have now.

HotTakeHarvey·1 hour ago

We treat this as a mistake, but it was actually a status symbol. Who wouldn't want to pay for the privilege of having their bones illuminated in a fancy store?