Why are shoes made so narrow to the point that it changes the bone structure of our foot? There had to be a benefit at some point so make them so narrow, right?

Question

Tribal people who don’t wear shoes have very wide feet compared to people who wear shoes. I saw a commercial for “natural” shoes talking about how narrow even athletic shoes or standard shoes are compared to theirs. They claim that this changes the bones structure of the foot and can cause issues. I understand why we wear shoes, but why did we make them so narrow to the point that it changes our foot? Is there a benefit?

In: 4245

Answer 1

I see a lot of explanations for why narrower shoes are fashionable, but none for why they are also practical.

Shoes have to stay attached to your feet or you will slide about and eventually twist an ankle (try wearing shoes that are too big to demonstrate why). This attachment or friction is most comfortable with shoes that are a little tight on the sides, with some “wiggle room” at the toes and heel, rather than the other way around.