Additionally fashion has often dictated many design elements, such as whether shoes have very high heels or flat ones. Contemporary footwear varies widely in style, complexity and cost. Basic sandals may consist of only a thin sole and simple strap. High fashion
shoes may be made of very expensive materials in complex construction and sell for thousands of dollars a pair. Other shoes are for very specific purposes, such as boots
specially designed for mountaineering
or skiing
.
Shoes have traditionally been made from leather
, wood
or canvas
, but are increasingly made fromrubber
, plastics
, and other petrochemical
-derived materials.
The foot contains more bones
than any other single part of the body
. Though it has evolved
over hundreds of thousands of years in relation to vastly varied terrain
and climate
conditions, the foot is still vulnerable to environmental hazards such as sharp rocks and hot ground, which shoes can protect against.