In ancient civilizations, at least in temperate climates, bare feet were often the norm. Sandals might occasionally be worn, but they would usually be the exception.
Here’s a little bit about Egypt.
Simple Figure—Barefoot
My source here is “Life in Ancient Egypt”, by Adolf Erman.
We’re all familiar with Egyptian hieroglyphics, their stone friezes, and their statues. The statues are almost inevitably barefoot.
Statue of Ra’nofet
I like to think of it that bare feet are “formal wear”. Sandals were just these things you might occasionally have to resort to under certain harsh conditions.
Here’s what Erman says on footwear in Egypt:
Egyptian costume, as far as we have already considered it, shows a comparatively rich development; on the other hand the history of the foot gear is very simple. In no point of apparel, in fact, did the nation remain so faithful to old traditions. At a time when people paid great attention to the various gradations of style in clothes and wigs, and when they were also strenuously striving after greater cleanliness, men and women, young and old almost always went barefoot, even when wearing the richest costumes. Under the Old and the Middle Empire women seem never to have worn sandals, while great men probably only used them when they needed them out of doors, and even then they generally gave them to be carried by the sandal-bearer who followed them. Sandals were more frequently used under the New Empire; still they were not quite naturalised, and custom forbade that they should be worn in the presence of a superior.
Finally, one more picture. I like this one because, although Egyptian pictures always seem so stiff, this one manages to capture the flexibility and use of the arch of the foot.
Chnemhôtep Hunting Birds
Is it possible that the Egyptian art does not accurately depict the everyday footwear choices of the ancient Egyptians? I mean, could the bare feet have been some artistic symbol rather than reality?
Like, if you look at the Monument to Minin and Pozharsky in Moscow, the heroes are depicted barefoot, but it is some artistic convention rather than an indication that they actually went barefoot (perhaps they did after all, but the XIX century courtier sculptor certainly could not have imagined or known that).
Good question. Answer: I have no idea.
I have dreamt of a chronovisor so many times. It does not seem to create any chronoclasm or violate the causality in any way, so it may be invented one day.
But it will be a very powerful weapon if you think of it. If you can view ancient Egyptians with a chronovisor, you probably can also view what your enemy or competitor was doing just 2 seconds ago. If ever invented, it will be a universal spying device.
As I think about this more, I suspect the art does accurately reflect the everyday footwear choices. That would be because the archeology does so. Archeologists can see just what sort of stuff is preserved and its relative frequency compared to other items (let’s say, loincloths or skirts). If sandals are a real rarity, that suggests that they were not worn.
While I haven’t looked for such an archeological study, I would think that the paragraph I quoted in this entry would be based on such studies in addition to simply the art.