Researchers found the footwear in Fort Rock Cave, located in the northern Great Basin area, preserved in ash from the eruption of Mount Mazama roughly 7,700 years ago. Around 100 pairs were present, including some in kids’ sizes, and most were well worn; some were caked with mud, and one had even been singed by sparks from a fire.

Like other sandals found around the Great Basin area, the Fort Rock shoes were made from sagebrush and covered the toes. But they had a distinct weaving style, with just five thick warps along the sole that were split into smaller cords for a thinner toe flap. They were secured to the feet with cords that tied around the ankle. This style faded out around 9,300 years ago, when it was replaced by different weaving styles that were still being used thousands of years later by Kamath and Modoc tribes, who are Indigenous to the area.