What a feat! Futurist uses AI to show what human feet could look like in 100 years

Sports Direct has partnered with applied futurist, Tom Cheesewright to predict what future feet will look like, using AI to then visualise these forecasts.

To make his predictions, Tom imagined how changes to the way we live will influence future adaptations to our feet.

Adaptation One: Soft sole

Tom explains: “We don’t spend much time in bare feet now, and when we do it tends to be indoors in very safe environments.

"Nowadays we tend to wear very soft socks and increasingly comfortable and well-fitting shoes, so the thick protective skin of our soles might start to thin, making our feet become even more sensitive.”

Adaptation Two: Longer toes

Tom said: “One of the last parts of the human foot to evolve was the larger, stiffer, big toe.

“It’s easy to imagine a future where running becomes even more culturally significant, with social drivers around maintaining good health, looking good, and keeping fit into later life as more of us live longer, resulting in adaptations that give us longer toes for better performance.”

Adaptation Three: Super sweaty

Tom said: “Sweat glands release moisture as part of the process that controls your body temperature, and they are most numerous on your feet. As temperatures rise, humans will need a variety of adaptations to help them regulate their temperature.

"Increasing the number and efficiency of our sweat glands would be one solution, leading to some very sweaty feet!””