The shape of ancient footbones has revealed when humans first started wearing proper shoes, between 40,000 and 26,000 years ago. Scientist Erik Trinkaus, who’s studied loads of early human foot bones, says it was at that time our little toes became smaller and weaker. He says that’s due to people wearing rugged shoes, meaning they didn’t have to use their toes to grip the ground. The oldest surviving shoes are 9,000 years old, found in California. It’s thought early humans in cold, northern countries, started covering their feet to keep them warm as early as 5,00,000 years ago. But the first shoes that were anything like ours appeared much later.