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“I was amazed to find that even the shoe-laces were preserved,” said Ms. Zardaryan in a media statement.

The researchers suspect cool and dry temperatures inside the cave resulted in exceptional preservation. Other items were found as well, including large containers, many of which held well-preserved wheat, barley and apricots.

UCLA archeologist Gregory Areshian, who was there at the time the shoe was found, described the items as “fresh dried, like they were put in a can.”

It is unclear whether the shoe was made for a man or woman. While it is a U.S. size 7 women, it could have easily fitted a man’s foot during that era.

The shoe contained grass, although the archaeologists were uncertain as to whether this was to keep the foot warm or to maintain the shape of the shoe.

Interestingly, the shoe is very similar to the ‘pampooties’

worn on the Aran Islands (in the West of Ireland) up to the 1950s.

“In fact, enormous similarities exist between the manufacturing technique and style of this shoe and those found across Europe at later periods, suggesting that this type of shoe was worn for thousands of years across a large and environmentally diverse region,” said Mr. Pinhasi.

To date, the oldest known footwear in the world are sandals made of plant material found in the Arnold Research Cave in Missouri.