What an interesting post. On shoes, I don't think anyone has mentioned (although I skipped a few posts) coldness. Probably Europeans adapted to shoes by wearing footwear for warmth in cold European winters.
Not always the Roman soldier cold/wet weather shoe was the sandle with sock. I think the weather might have played a part, but did they not just stop in the winter. The old ant, and the grasshopper story.
Also what about the clog? They were in England and would seem to make sense from this point of view.
I'd give a word of warning about kettle bells, etc. I'd be very wary about any system that promises to be the "grail" of training. The three sets 8-10 reps system was sold as the "miracle" system based on the mystique of science and modernity. The kettle bell system is being sold as the "miracle" system based on the mystique of tradition and secrecy. Oriental martial arts were sold to Westerners in exactly the same way.
Completly with you on this, never belive the hype.
The two biggest problems in Martial Arts are the language issues, and the 'bad habits'. I know a lot of people with issues because of things their instructor did. Mainly down to weird and wonderful press ups. Have a look at some of the breaking stories, they are brillant.
The reason why kettle bells are better is simple, they make use of the smaller muscles. The ones that in the real world get used but not so much in the gym.
The long and the short of it is that some people are strong and some people are less strong. Naturally strong people will lurch from one system to another reaping disproportionate benefits and proclaiming their revolutionary advantages.
Yes, and no, there is a lot involved. One of the big problems is in who advertises these systems.
I screwed up my ligaments using Pavel Tsatsoulin's high weight low rep system and also damaged my knees trying to do extreme stretching (better now though). Kettle bells look like great training aids to me but they also look like they'd hyper extend your wrists in some movements. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is, and that applies to exercise systems as much as to anything else.
That is were the body/kettlebell movement is coming from. Due to the rise of lifting machines especially, it is very easy to gain a lot of strength without the back up, or protection needed to use it.
Like anything it is what advice you get in how to use something. A lot of bad kettlebell experiences seem to come from people picking up ones the same weight as their normal dumbbell.
Going back to shoes, when I was a student I worked as a waiter. This involved long hours on your feet. I found after much foot weariness that the best shoes were traditional lace up shoes with a low heel, thin, stiff leather soles and no interior upholstery. The African guys in the kitchens wore flip flop style sandals.
One of the big problems in this is what the floor is made of? Concrete actual has a health and safety thing about standing on it for long periods.