12-01-2007, 07:31 PM
Very true about ancients having tough feet. There is a tendency in the modern day to baby our feet, but in the past unless you came from an extremely well spending, wealthy family you were barefoot until your foot reached its proper growth or made do with simple wrappings. It makes little sense to spend lots of money and effort to make shoes for someone that will outgrow it in a few months or has yet to earn their keep in the household. Hey, I went barefoot most of my childhood and it wasn't because my parents were too cheap either. I have tough feet and don't like shoes with cushion. I prefer when the padding wears out and I can flex my feet more within the shoes. Toughened feet rarely get callouses and I find when I do they are usually underneath many tough layers of skin rather than on the surface like when your feet are soft.
Derek D. Estabrook
