Pharaoh Tut sported orthopedic shoes?

Among the many riches and fantastic finds discovered in King Tut's 3300 year old tomb were three pairs of fascinatingly unique sandals hypothesized to have been made to suit the young pharaoh's orthopedic needs.

During a recent investigation into King Tut's genetic history, X-Ray's have revealed deformities in the bones of the feet that would have made mobility difficult. The second toe of the right foot lacked a middle toe which made it drastically shorter...while the left foot was clubbed and rotated internally at the ankle. For cases such as this in modern times orthopedic shoes would be prescribed to help lessen resulting symptoms and make maneuvering in every day life just a little bit easier.

The three sandals in question seem to have been designed to help Tut cope with his debilitating condition; two characteristics of the sandals in particular signal the attempt at an orthopedic correction. The sandals feature horizontal straps just below the toe line, plus semi-circular panel's along the side. These would have made the sandals more secure to the feet in case of being dragged across the floor and are qualities not found in other sandal's of the era.

Other footwear found in the tomb are of various designs, ranging from sewn-together papyrus reeds to shoes manufactured using advanced techniques (for the time) covered in gold leaf and set in gem stones. It is likely that the boy pharaoh would have been toted around by servants and that his more elaboratley decorated footwear would never have touched the ground.

It is interesting to note that while the elaborately decorated shoes never bore the pharaoh's weight, some of his less grand shoes managed to capture the indention of the sole's of his feet for all time.

Reference: MSNBC and Discovery Channel News, via internet 8 April, 2010.