INGENUITY AND LUXURY 



protection for the feet did not begin until primitive 

 man commenced migrating from the tropical regions 

 into colder latitudes. But even in such latitudes, shoes 

 or moccasins would probably have been worn only 

 during the colder months of the year, as in the case of 

 clothing, and discarded during the warmer months. 

 But, as will be remembered by every boy who has had 

 the privilege of going barefoot in the summer time, 

 confining the foot in any kind of protective shoe for 

 several months tends to soften the callous soles, and 

 the resulting tenderness does not disappear for some 

 time after the shoes are discarded. So the primitive 

 men who had protected their feet by rude skin shoes 

 during the several winter months, would find in the 

 spring that their feet had lost much of their tough, re- 

 sisting power of a few months before. 



As regions further and further north were invaded, 

 where the winters were long and the summers com- 

 paratively short, the time would come when the shoe- 

 wearing season would be longer than the barefooted 

 season, and the need of some protection to the soles 

 would be felt acutely when the season for discarding 

 foot-wear arrived. The pleasure of escaping from 

 the encumbrance of shoes would be more than offset 

 by the pain from cuts and bruises that would be re- 

 ceived when attempting to go barefoot. A natural 

 summer compromise, therefore, would be in the form 

 of a sandal, which would protect the sole and allow 

 freedom to the upper part of the foot. 



In this manner, a race of comparatively tender- 

 footed men, wearing shoes or sandals the year round, 



[104] 



