Comfort Creep

How Shoes, Synthetics and Sofas Make Us Soft

Jun 10, 2025

Today’s sixth installment of my special Substack series is part of a project titled The Comfort Trap: The Ill Effects of Chronic Ease. In this undertaking, I explore a profound yet oft-overlooked paradox of modern life: our relentless pursuit of ease is leading to an epidemic of chronic disease.

Across the adventure, I leverage my mythical hunter-gatherer ancestor Ffej Onsark (yes, my name spelled backwards) as the benchmark for comparing ancient and modern living conditions.

The comparison elucidates modernity’s comfort-induced evolutionary mismatches and their many negative knock-on physiological and psychological impacts.

In you find today’s excerpt interesting, you can dive deeper on Substack. If you prefer the lilt of my voice, you can listen on the Commune podcast or purchase the entire effort on Audible, Apple Books, or Spotify.

In love, include me,

Jeff

P.S. I’ll be going live to connect in real time — answering your questions, and sometimes chatting with special guests. Have something you’re curious about?

Ask It Here

A Life on Bare Feet

As my hunter-gatherer ancestor Ffej prepared for a day of foraging, he didn’t lace up his Nikes. Most often, he hit the ground barefoot. On some occasions, when traversing rocky terrain, he might wrap his feet in a primitive type of sandal made of natural fibers. In icier regions, people of the Paleolithic, like the Inuit, cobbled mukluks made from sealskin or reindeer hide to protect against frostbite.

The soles of Ffej’s feet were thickened and leathery from years of walking across rocky plains. They acted as natural shoes, shielding him from the sharpness of the earth below. His toes spread wide, gripping the ground with every step, ensuring balance and agility. Whether running after prey or crouching to forage for berries, Ffej’s body moved in sync with the earth’s uneven surface.

Ffej’s feet, like the rest of his body, were the product of millennia of natural selection, built to survive and thrive in nature's harsh and varied environments.

Ffej's clothing, like his footwear, reflected his environment, shaped by necessity rather than choice. He didn’t have access to Gore-Tex jackets or polyester blends that repelled wind and water. Instead, his garments were simple yet functional, crafted from flax fiber or tanned leather. In colder climates, Ffej might have wrapped himself in animal skins or furs, using the insulating properties of hides from reindeer, bison, or even mammoths. The layers of fur protected him from harsh winds. The natural oils in the animal skins repelled water to a degree, but not with the efficiency of modern waterproofed gear.

Ffej’s clothes were as much a part of his survival strategy as his tools and his knowledge of the land. He didn’t wear them for comfort but to ensure that he could withstand the often unpredictable and unforgiving elements of his world. His clothing allowed him to stay agile, mobile, and ready for the challenges of hunting, foraging, and navigating through diverse terrains, from dense forests to open plains.

Unlike today’s synthetically engineered, climate-controlled apparel, Ffej’s clothing didn’t shield him entirely from the cold, rain, or heat. Instead, his attire allowed for a more natural, dynamic relationship with his environment, where his body adapted to changing conditions rather than being completely insulated from them.

After a hard day of hunting and gathering, Ffej didn’t collapse on a plush sofa and pop a cold one. When it came time to rest, Ffej squatted, a position that most modern humans find awkward, if not downright painful. But for Ffej, it was a posture that aligned his hips, spine, and ankles, strengthening his muscles and stretching his ligaments. Squatting was not just a means of rest for Ffej; he was at ease but always ready to spring into action.

Ffej’s feet were built for strength, balance, and connection to the ground. His body was engineered to thermoregulate, irrespective of clothing. His squatting posture ensured his body remained lithe, limber, and strong, in harmony with nature. But Ffej couldn’t have imagined a world where movement was optional, and where humans sat for hours on cushioned thrones, their feet tightly wrapped in synthetic armor.

How Did We Get There?

The Shoe: From Equestrian Necessity to Modern Misfit

The history of shoes is deeply interwoven with the history of human domestication. The oldest known footwear—a pair of sandals discovered in Oregon—dates back about 10,000 years, made from sagebrush bark. These shoes provided protection from puncture but still allowed the foot to move naturally, unbound by modern constraints.

As the human story progressed, a need for sturdier shoes became evident, particularly with the rise of equestrianism. Horses, domesticated around 4,000 BC, became integral to transportation and agriculture. Heeled shoes trace their origins to Persian horse riders around the 10th century. The Persian cavalry wore shoes with heels to help them secure their feet in the stirrups while riding, allowing them to stand and shoot arrows more effectively. This style of footwear was practical, aiding in balance and control when riding. When Persian emissaries visited European courts in the early 17th century, their distinctive footwear caught the attention of European nobility.

By the time the Renaissance was in full swing, equestrian culture had become a symbol of power and prestige. European royalty, always eager to associate themselves with military prowess and elite status, adopted the heeled shoe as part of their attire. The design of early heels was still relatively practical, but the rising popularity of heels as fashion statements led to ever-more extravagant designs, particularly in Italy and France.

King Louis XIV of France, known for his extravagant style and epicurean lifestyle, popularized the use of high heels at court in the 17th century. He famously wore red-soled, high-heeled shoes, a style that became synonymous with aristocracy and power.

During this era, the courtly aesthetic emphasized height and elegance. Heeled shoes for men became a way to project authority, status and masculinity. Women's fashion, too, began to embrace heels, particularly in the courts of Europe, with shoes becoming increasingly ornate.

Shoemakers began crafting increasingly elaborate heels for the courts of Europe, using materials like silk and brocade. By the 18th century, heeled shoes had become so synonymous with nobility and luxury that the style was embraced by both men and women. But the populist French Revolution of 1789 was a moment of reckoning for elites – and elite foot fashion. Heels were associated with aristocratic privilege, and as a result, many men distanced themselves from this symbol of aristocracy. This was not the case for women, for whom the more uncomfortable the shoe, the higher the status. A perverse concept that lives on to this day.

Europeans were by no means the only foot fetishists on Earth. As early as the 10^th century in China, the feet of imperial young girls were broken and tightly bound in order to radically alter their shape and size. “Lotus feet”, as they were called, were ideally a mere 3 inches in length. Over the centuries that followed, this status symbol and mark of feminine beauty spread to lower social classes. Footbinding increased the number of potential male suitors, but it also condemned women to a life of limited mobility and pain. By the 19th century, it’s estimated that 40–50% of Chinese women had bound feet, rising to almost 100% among upper-class women. It wasn’t until the early 20th century that the practice began to peter out. But they swapped out the lotus for a stiletto. The pinched toe and elevated heel of modern women’s shoes could be considered a modern form of footbinding.

The health impacts of wearing high heels are more extensive and whole-body than you might first imagine. Heels shift the body’s weight forward, concentrating more pressure on the ball of the foot (the metatarsal heads). This uneven weight distribution leads to several conditions, including inflammation in the ball of the foot, Bunions, and Hammer toes, the permanent bending of toes due to pressure on the front of the foot.

High heels gradually alter the natural shape and mechanics of the foot, shortening the Achilles tendon and straining the calf muscle. Because they tip the body forward, the wearer often compensates by arching their lower back, which results in stress on the lumbar spine, leading to lower back pain and even more serious conditions like sciatica.

High heels force the knee into a constantly flexed position, increasing pressure on the knee joints, contributing to osteoarthritis in the knee. Because high heels limit the foot's contact with the ground, they make it harder to maintain balance, increasing the risk of falls and injuries, especially ankle sprains.

While modern fashion has largely focused on women with ill-effect, men don’t escape unscathed. Men’s dress shoes are a more generous prison for the foot, but they are incarceration for the trotter nonetheless. Even tennis shoes, which at first glance appear better for foot health, are far from an ideal foundation for human form and function.

Most sneakers have a narrow toe box, which squeezes the toes together. This compression restricts the natural splay of the toes. They feature built-in arch support and elevated heels, which alter the natural alignment of the foot. They come with thick, cushioned soles that reduce the foot’s ability to sense the ground.

From the moment RUN DMC held up their iconic adidas shelltoes in 1986 at Madison Square Garden, teenage boys have been queuing up around the block for signature sneaker releases from Adidas, Nike, and other athletic shoe companies. But the marketing message that these shoes are designed for elite athletes, as well as weekend warriors, is a perverse joke.

You see, the human foot is a biomechanical masterpiece. It contains twenty-six bones for natural stability, over a hundred muscles, tendons, and ligaments for strength and spring, and hundreds of thousands of nerve endings for sensory connection. Its complex structure of 33 joints is engineered both for weight-bearing and mobility. The architecture of the foot naturally allows for functions like standing, walking, running, and jumping.

In our modern world, we seldom go anywhere without binding our pedal masterworks in some form of leather, vinyl, or plastic. Shoes do the work that muscles in the feet and lower legs would naturally do, which can lead to weaker foot and leg muscles over time. They reduce our natural range of motion. Shoes also reduce our ability to sense the ground beneath us, which is important for balance and body awareness. This sensory feedback is essential to preventing falls and injuries, which is particularly important as we age. According to the CDC, falls are the leading cause of injury-related death among adults aged 65 and older. And the age-adjusted fall death rate increased by 41% from 55 per 100,000 older adults in 2012 to 78 per 100,000 older adults in 2021.

Lastly, but not leastly, the production and disposal of shoes, particularly synthetic athletic shoes, has a significant environmental impact. Every year in the United States, people discard 300 million pairs of shoes, 95% of which wind up in landfills, where they contaminate the environment by emitting chemicals, dyes, and adhesives into the soil and groundwater.

According to my friend and 8th-generation cobbler, Galahad Clark, there are approximately 24 billion shoes bought annually around the world.

Once again, we find that what appears comfortable eventually leads to a lot of discomfort, both human and planetary. The financial health of multinational shoe conglomerates undermines human health.

Sitting Pretty: The Invention of Chairs and the Decline of Movement

The Ottoman Empire was one of the longest-lasting and most powerful empires in history, lasting from around 1299 to 1922. It originated in the region of Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) and expanded dramatically over time to control large parts of Southeast Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa. As epic as this reign was, a lowly but pervasive legacy of this great empire is the cushioned chair and footstool.

Of course, Ffej Onsark had no ottoman upon which he could lounge around the nightly fire. He squatted when he needed to rest, maintaining a position that kept his body active and engaged. In the absence of chairs and sofas and footstools, squatting was the natural resting posture. Not only did it keep him mobile, but it also strengthened his ankles, hips, and core.

Squatting is a quite natural posture that humans have used for millennia for resting, birthing, and going to the bathroom. In this position, the body aligns in a way that is beneficial for muscle engagement and joint mobility, while also aiding natural bodily functions like digestion and childbirth.

The transition away from squatting in many parts of the world is largely a result of industrialization and modernization, which introduced chairs, Western-style toilets, and other conveniences.

The modern flush toilet, as we know it today, was largely invented by Sir John Harington, an English courtier and godson of Queen Elizabeth I, in 1596. He devised a rudimentary flushing system that involved a cistern of water located above the toilet, which could be released to flush waste into a cesspool below. However, it was Thomas Crapper, a plumber in Victorian England during the late 19th century, who popularized and improved upon the flush toilet system, including the U-bend trap that helped prevent malodorous gases from entering homes. The flush toilet gained significant momentum during the Industrial Revolution, and by the late 1800s, it had evolved into the more effective and hygienic systems we use today.

While I offer a strong critique of many artifacts of modernity in this audiobook, it’s hard for me to argue too vehemently against the modern toilet despite the benefits of squatting.

The primary culprit that pilfered our squatting abilities is the chair. The use of chairs, benches, and stools dates back to ancient civilizations like Egypt, Greece, and Rome, but chairs became more widespread in the medieval and Renaissance periods in Europe.

The easy chair was first popularized in the 18th and 19th centuries during the rise of leisure culture. As cities grew and the Industrial Revolution advanced, more people found themselves with sedentary jobs. Office workers, clerks, and factory overseers spent their days sitting, and furniture makers responded by designing cushioned chairs that prioritized comfort.

In 1927, cousins Edwin Shoemaker and Edward Knabusch invented the La-Z-Boy chair. The name says it all. The original design engineered for outdoor lounging allowed users to recline while keeping their feet elevated—a novel idea for the time. They eventually upholstered the chair, making it a plush and comfortable piece of indoor furniture, and the La-Z-Boy recliner was born.

Over time, the La-Z-Boy has become synonymous with comfort and relaxation, particularly in the post-war era when suburban homes began to prioritize comfort and leisure. The chair is mechanically designed to offer reclining positions, adjustable footrests, and support for various postures, allowing users to sit, lie down, or find a comfortable mid-recline. After a long day at work, men could now come home and recline in plush chairs, watching the newly invented television. The couch, once a luxury item, became standard in every living room, inviting us to sit for hours on end.

Ffej – along with generations before and after him - never sat in a chair. He had 6 gears: walking, running, standing, lying down, squatting, or perhaps sitting in some kind of cross-legged position. However, now, in a very short period of time, Westerners sit on average 12 hours per day. Lying down, mainly for the purposes of sleep and occasionally for extracurricular activities, typically accounts for another 9 hours. This leaves a scant three hours or less to be on one’s feet.

Sitting all day contributes to back pain due to several factors. When sitting, many people tend to slouch or lean forward, which places extra pressure on the spine, especially the lower back (lumbar region). This posture can overstretch the spinal ligaments and strain the discs and surrounding muscles, leading to pain and discomfort over time. The muscles in the lower back and abdomen help support the spine, but when sitting, these muscles are often underused. Over time, this weakening makes it harder for them to maintain proper posture, leading to increased reliance on the spine for support, which can cause pain. Most chairs, especially standard office chairs, don't provide adequate support for the natural curve of the lower spine. Without this support, the lower back tends to flatten, which increases stress on the lumbar spine. Additionally, the 90-degree angle of the legs in relation to the hips when seated is not biomechanically functional for the human body. It leads to a chronic tightening of the hip flexors, and this can have a ripple effect, leading to more back pain as well as knee and even foot pain. Yes, it’s all connected.

Chairs don’t offer just a pain in the back. Studies have linked prolonged sitting with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and even certain cancers. Our bodies, designed for movement and constant engagement with the environment, were never meant to be immobile for such long stretches of time.

Teflon, PFAS, and the Cost of Convenience

Shoes and sitting aren’t the only modern comforts contributing to our malaise. The very clothes we wear, designed for convenience and ease, are full of hidden dangers. Until quite recently, humans wore clothes made from sheep’s wool, cotton, linen made from the fibers of flax, silk harvested from silkworms, animal hides and furs, and hemp. Clothes were colored with natural dyes from plants, minerals, and insects.

The shift to synthetic clothing began in the early 20th century with the invention of new materials derived from petrochemicals rather than natural fibers. These include rayon, nylon, polyester, acrylic, and spandex (also known as Lycra).

We tend to associate Lycra with yoga pants and athletic leggings, but it’s worked its way into stretchy jeans, sportswear, and undergarments of various sizes and shapes. Lycra and other synthetic fabrics are often treated with a chemical to render them more resistant to water, stains, and wear.

This chemical is known as Teflon. Yes, the same chemical that is applied to your pots and pans.

Teflon was first discovered accidentally by chemist Roy Plunkett in 1938 while working for DuPont. Initially intended for refrigerants, the chance discovery soon found its way into a wide range of applications, from non-stick cookware to military and industrial uses. Its slippery, heat-resistant, and inert nature made it the material of choice for a wide range of industries, including clothing, through a family of chemicals known as PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances).

At first blush, water and stain-resistant clothing sounds fantastic. However, PFAS are often called “forever chemicals” because of their eternal life. They do not break down in the environment and accumulate in human tissues over time. Research now links prolonged PFAS exposure to significant health issues, including liver damage, immune system suppression, thyroid disorders, and increased risk of cancers like kidney and testicular cancer.

From shoes to easy chairs and stain-proof, water-resistant clothing, our modern conveniences have cleaved us from our ancestral design, undercutting our health. This is the comfort trap.

Our pursuit of the good life has ushered in toxins that undermine our resilience, driving us further from the natural world and its balance. We now face the unintended consequences of "easy" living.

Reversing the Damage: Barefoot Shoes, Squatting, and Rewilding

So, how do we undo the damage? How do we realign ourselves with the evolutionary design that has served us so well for millennia?

The answer lies in rewilding our feet and bodies.

First, let’s talk shoes. The barefoot movement, spearheaded by advocates like Tony Riddle and companies like Vivobarefoot, is encouraging a return to shoes that mimic the natural movement of the foot. Barefoot shoes have wide toe boxes that allow toes to splay and spread naturally. Their thin, flexible soles allow the feet to sense and respond to the ground beneath them, restoring natural balance and movement patterns.

As for sitting? It’s time to embrace squatting. Squatting, a natural resting posture for humans, is a practice that keeps the hips open, engages the core, and maintains flexibility in the ankles and spine. It might be uncomfortable at first, but with practice, squatting can become a comfortable alternative to sitting in a chair. Squatting throughout the day—whether for work, rest, or even eating—helps maintain muscle strength and mobility, preventing many of the problems associated with sitting for too long.

And then there’s clothing. To avoid the harmful chemicals found in modern fabrics, we can look to natural, ancestral materials like wool, cotton, and leather—materials that breathe, biodegrade, and don’t leach harmful chemicals into our bodies.

Lastly, and more broadly, we need to repair our relationship with nature. Nature is not something to be either feared or conquered. We are nature. By reconnecting with it, we reconnect with ourselves and leverage our innate design.

Practices like forest bathing and grounding —where you walk barefoot on the earth—restore our natural connection to the elements and reawaken the body’s adaptive capacity. By spending more time outdoors, breathing fresh air, and exposing ourselves to the natural rhythms of day and night, we can begin to reverse the damage that modern life has wrought. We can live more like Ffej.