BTW, walking/running shoes are for providing arch support and shock absorption while walking/running on hard and flat surfaces such as concrete or asphalt, which is where modern-day people do the vast majority of their walking/running. Even the toughest of soles on human feet wouldn't provide that. So, yes, we do indeed need such shoes. (Whether a $150 pair of Nike walking/running shoes are better than a much cheaper brand's, is another discussion entirely.)
But if we were able to do most if not all of our walking and running on relatively soft and uneven ground, then, yes, we wouldn't really need shoes. Provided we developed tough soles from years of walking barefoot. Also provided there were no bits of refuse metal or glass lying on that ground for us to stumble upon, which has become more and more the case in the modern-day world.
Last edited by Cynosure; 04-20-2009 at 08:16 AM..
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