Walking alters ankle bone structure

The way humans walk, whether with or without shoes, changes the structure of a small ankle bone called the astragalus. This bone, located between the tibia and the foot, adapts to the forces it experiences, leading to variations in its density and shape.

Study reveals bone differences

A study by Hannah Farrell and Zewdi Tsegai from the University of Chicago, published in the Journal of Anatomy in September 2026, found that people who regularly wear shoes have a denser astragalus compared to those who walk barefoot. These differences are not just in density but also in the specific areas of the bone that strengthen.

Bone structure adapts to forces

Inside the astragalus, a honeycomb-like structure called trabecular bone constantly changes based on the forces it experiences. This structure gains or loses density depending on how weight is distributed during walking, effectively recording the mechanical history of the bone.

Modern reference collections are biased

Most reference skeletons used in anatomical studies come from populations that regularly wear shoes. This can create a bias when comparing modern bones to those of ancient humans, as the shape of the astragalus may have already been altered by footwear.

Comparing barefoot and shod populations

Researchers compared the astragalus of 40 people who wear shoes with 16 individuals from barefoot communities, including the Andaman Islanders, Khoisan, and Aka. The study found that shoe-wearing individuals had denser bones, but with more variation between individuals, while barefoot walkers showed a different pattern of bone thickening.

Barefoot walking reveals ancestral traits

The differences in bone structure highlight how footwear influences the anatomy of the ankle. For Zewdi Tsegai, these findings suggest that studying populations that still walk barefoot can provide a more accurate understanding of how early humans walked, without the influence of modern footwear.