While you hold your feet firmly in a shoe, many motions of the foot are prevented. As well, some of the muscles will atrophy leaving the foot weak and prone to injury. Walking bare footed around the house or in your stockings will make them strengthen. Spend a few minutes a day and raise up on tip-toe a few times. This will relieve the cramping of the large muscles under the foot.
Shoes are a major source of foot pain.
Various societies have inflicted terrible punishment on feet, especially the group's female members. The feet of adult women were small, but virtually useless. But don't feel too virtuous, women in our culture toddle around on high heels because they think it makes them more beautiful. It may not enhance physical beauty but it does improve high heel wearers chances of having foot problems because it throws the weight of the body onto the forefoot. This is normal in horses, but not in humans.