You're probably walking on a rubber sole

— which is much tougher than the plant fibers the Indians had to work with.

Now imagine that you walk everywhere to find food and water, to chase a rabbit or hunt a deer Sometimes you might walk several miles each day, or much further, if you were moving to another campsite

What do you think your shoes would look like after a month? Well, you can understand why the Indians were such expert sandal makers — and why they chose the toughest plants to make their shoes.