I uses to wear Tabi boots when I was a youngster- bunch o us in ninja outfits ar@in about in the woods... However, we made grappling hooks with knotted ropes which we could climb bloody fast gripping the knots between the big and first toes! Also, we would tightrope walk and this was easier gripping the rope with the toes.
I was at one time able to run on chuckies (granite gravel) proper barefoot as a (big) kid. I wear the vibram 5 fingers now but my feet are
still wimps in comparison!!