The dog needs to go out and I’m barefoot. Can’t go out barefoot around here.
Putting on my shoes it occurs to me the dog is naked. Aside from the obvious that I can’t go out naked around here, there must have been a time when humans were first evolving when they did go out naked and without shoes. Like the dog.
We wear shoes and explore the world.
Volcanologists explore volcanoes. Mountaineers explore mountains. Dog walkers walk the dog.
All of us are wearing that most important of human gear: shoes, boots, footwear.
We don’t even stop to think about it. If we’re not already wearing shoes we’ll put them on before going out at least. They are essential human gear.
The dog doesn’t need or want shoes to go out. We, on the other hand, have soft delicate footsies. If you go without them for awhile your feet will toughen up, but let’s face it: we need shoes to explore the world. Human gear. Our invention. Nobody else in the animal kingdom voluntarily manufacturers and wears shoes. It’s a human thing.
So the next time someone asks me what’s the difference between a human and an animal I’m going to say we make and wear shoes. Of all species of life on planet earth, we’re the shoemakers.