So let's say it's true human beings were meant to run barefoot, can we all agree running shoes still make us WAY faster?

humans running barefoot.. the context is pre-modernity. We were running around on non paved surfaces and non curated/maintained trail.

So maybe years of running barefoot, from a young ling, would callus the feet; akin to playing guitar calluses the fingers. In a context like this, shoes wouldn't make a huge difference. But shoes would win over say a hard sharp object. It would cut the foot wheres the foam would absorb it.