The longest time of its existence, the man is barefoot walked on this earth for only about 40,000 years ago, were probably invented the first sandals. A natural sole can make our body but also the self and which is more practical than previously thought.

An international team of researchers has now found out that the cornea protects the feet, without that the sensitivity of the soles of the feet decreases. The will, therefore, Go through the thickness of the cornea is not affected, according to the researchers. The thickened layer of the skin is in some aspects better than any Shoe sole.

Who is running in the summer, barefoot, quickly realizes that the cornea protects the feet. Therefore, it is generally believed that the feet respond by the thickened layer of skin, less and less sensitive to stimuli. A research team led by Nicholas Holowka of Harvard University in Cambridge, this is now reflected. The results were published in the scientific magazine “Nature”.

Padded Shoe soles is Going to change

The researchers studied the feet of 81 Kenyans and 22 Americans. Some wore regular shoes, and others went, in his own words, always barefoot. As expected, people had to go barefoot, about thirty percent thicker and harder layer of the cornea under the feet.

This was not, however, on the sensitivity of the soles of the feet. The scientist touched the device, the soles of the participants with a vibration. This showed that all felt the stimulus is the same. The authors of the study assume that the thickened layer of skin, the sensitivity of the nerve endings in the feet are not affected.

In further Tests, the researchers examined skin effect of horn and Shoe soles to Go on the. The 22 participants from Boston and ran either barefoot, with padded or Barefoot on a force plate, or on special treadmills that measure the pressure when they Occur. It was shown that the thickness of the cornea, but the soles of the changes Go: The stronger of the Shoe was padded, the stronger the correlation of forces, the impact on the foot changed. The exact consequences were still to be explored.

Scientists recommend thin and hard soles

The researchers assume, however, that the shoes have an impact on the entire body. So the load on joints and skeletal system by padded Shoe soles, in comparison to go barefoot permanently changed. This could lead to diseases and cause people to plunge rather. They therefore recommend that those at risk of falling, older people should wear shoes with thin and, if possible, rigid soles, such as, for example, certain sandals.

In a “Nature”commentary, Kristiaan D’Août writes from the University of Liverpool, barefoot have run many health benefits. “We should banish all our shoes? Probably not,” he says. The urgent question is, what kind of shoes we wear. The soles would have to modeled on the cornea and also as rigid as possible to be. The benefits would have been set according to the D’Août, in some areas, by: “For example, is it so that the hard-floored notched shoes, the formula 1-driver, a greater sensitivity at high vibrations allow.”

The researchers of the study point to the fact that padded Shoe soles is only with the industrial Revolution, for the General public affordable, and the body skin to of their own horn in a natural way for a more comfortable gear provided. Shoes have, how many inventions, although benefits such as protection and comfort, but also drawbacks, the researchers conclude.

Cornea arises because the basal producing cells deep in the skin, the horn-forming cells, called keratinocytes. This wander in the direction of the skin surface and produce the horn substance Keratin. At the end of this cornification they die and detach from the skin.