World’s Oldest Leather Shoe Is Incredibly Well-Preserved

The interior of the Areni-1 cave. Image credit: Gerd Eichmann
Shoes like this would have enabled ancient people to cope with extreme temperatures in the region—up to 113°F (45°C) in summer and below freezing in winter—and to travel large distances. After all, protecting the foot was probably the main reason why people started wearing shoes in the first place, and the world’s oldest known leather shoe is no exception.

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