Early Humans Wore 'Shoes' 30,000 Years Ago

Thosehigh-tech, air-filled, light-as-a-feather sneakers on your feet are afar cry from the leather slabs our ancestors wore for protection andsupport.

But believe it or not, our modern day Nikes and Reeboksare direct descendents of the first supportive footwear that newresearch suggests came into use in western Eurasia between 26,000 and30,000 years ago.

Erik Trinkaus, Ph.D., the Mary TilestonHemenway Professor of Physical Anthropology, derived those dates byanalyzing anatomical evidence of early modern humans, which suggests areduction in the strength of the smaller toes in Upper Paleolithichumans while there was little change in leg strength.

His research was published in the July issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science.

Trinkausargues that early humans living in far northern climates began to putinsulation on their feet around 500,000 years ago. While archaeologicalevidence suggests that protective footwear was in use by at least themiddle Upper Paleolithic in portions of Europe, the frequency of useand the actual mechanical protection provided by that footwear wasunclear.

Use of protective footwear has been difficult to document because in most cases the footwear does not survive the test of time.

Lackingsuch physical evidence, Trinkaus analyzed the foot bones of westernEurasian Middle Paleolithic and middle Upper Paleolithic humans. Indoing so, he found the anatomy of their feet began to change startingaround 26,000 years ago.

"I discovered that the bones of thelittle toes of humans from that time frame were much less stronglybuilt than those of their ancestors while their leg bones remainedlarge and strong," Trinkaus said. "The most logical cause would be theintroduction of supportive footwear."

During barefoot walking,the smaller toes flex for traction, keeping the toe bones strong.Supportive footwear lessens the roll of the little toes, thus weakeningthem.