Shoe specialist Petr Hlavacek has been studying the shoes found on the feet of a prehistoric iceman whose mummified body was found in an Alpine glacier in 1991. His conclusion is that they are more efficient and better for the feet than modern day hiking boots.

The sole was of thin bearskin, padded on the inside with hay as protection against the cold. Hlavacek's reconstruction is like a slipper, with no leather upper behind the heel, just a net. He says they are ideal for walking in cold and damp environments. Whilst they were not particularly waterproof they dried quickly and if, for example, you stepped in a puddle, your feet would only be cold for a brief period. Find out more here