http://www.health24.com/news/Foot/1-2223,42667.asp

October 26, 2007
Researchers at the University of the Witwatersrand today announced the astonishing results of a study on the health of human feet published in the November issue of the journal The Foot.

The study reveals that early human populations that didn’t wear shoes, had healthier feet with fewer pathologies than modern groups of humans who wear shoes. The research was conducted on over 180 modern humans from three different population groups (Sotho, Zulu and European) and on skeletons of humans more than 2000 years old.

“our study suggests that the reason Africans have generally healthier feet is probably due to the fact that the mid-twentieth century Africans examined probably came from rural areas and thus may have been barefoot as children - a much healthier situation for their feet than the European group which probably wore shoes from an early age”.

Both authors agree that the results of the study indicate that if one’s goal is to have fewer foot problems, then going without shoes is the healthier option. But Dr Zipfel is quick to point out that there are some situations where wearing shoes is mandatory for hygienic reasons. “Shoes should be worn in public areas, restaurants and toilets and situations where there might be the danger of stepping on sharp objects,” he notes.