Source: US Storage Research

It’s hard to imagine a time before the invention of shoes. Yet what started as a practical venture has grown into a varied, booming industry just as concerned with art as it is with functionality. Though all shoes share basic characteristics, their coloring, materials, and designs have transformed drastically over thousands of years.

From archeological and paleoarcheological evidence, experts hypothesize that shoes were invented around in the Middle Paleolithic period approximately 40,000 years ago. However, it wasn’t until the Upper Paleolithic period that footwear was consistently worn by populations. The earliest shoe prototypes were soft, made from wraparound leather, and resembled either sandals or moccasins.

Source: PLOS Blogs Network

Source: PLOS Blogs Network

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Source: Flickr

If the stoic island above looks uninhabited, it’s because it most likely is. While Bjarnarey comprises one part of the Vestmann Islands, due to a horrendous 1973 volcano eruption, all denizens of the quaint township were forced to evacuate and move to Iceland’s mainland for several months.

Yet another way to examine cultural differences: the United States appears to reach its peak internet use at around noon; in other words, work time. China, on the other hand, tends to surf the web most heavily in the evening, or after their work day is complete.