Making other people envious may not be the original reason footwear came to be. However the right sandals, pumps or cross trainers do serve that purpose admirably. Footwear that is great looking and in front of their time by design will evoke envious glances. Shoes that are fabulous to look at and comfy too will draw tears of envy.
Throughout the ages footwear has been credited with all types of magical powers. Folklore and favorite anecdotes and nursery rhymes from around the globe are filled with stories about blessed, cursed or enchanted footwear. Shoes and boots have been demonstrated to achieve the power to solve a variety of problems and improve the quality of their owners' resides in remarkable ways.
Everyone knows what went down to Cinderella when she was late leaving the ball. In her hurry to return to the pumpkin coach she lost her glass slipper. Which was a lucky break for the prince who then spent the rest of the story choosing the woman who was connected to the foot that fit the shoe. Also it was a lucky break for Cinderella who finally married the prince.
The glass must have been some very special hi tech glass. Even the youngest story hearers and movie watchers wonder why the glass shoes didn't break. These were probably pretty but not practical and probably not so comfortable.
In folk tales the right footwear can't only improve ones chances for each other but additionally enhance ones career. Puss in Boots, for example may be the story a good impoverished child who eventually married a princess and have become heir towards the throne. His fortune came because of his having given a pair of fine boots to his cat.
The boots the kitty wore didn't appear to have any magical powers. They didn't, for instance, provide the cat the power of speech since he already knew how to talk as he requested a pair of boots. Quite possibly the primary contribution of the boots was to look impressive and provide the kitty the respect he deserved from the people he interacted with.
Although some people might from the cat's activities involved running at very high speeds. At some point within the story he outruns the King's coach. He runs so quick he finds time to speak with peasant along the way and persuades them to support his plan. Also, he manages to kill an ogre and take possession of his castle before the king arrives.
That kind of running requires the appropriate footwear. Obviously the young prince-to-be did himself an excellent favor by purchasing the best available boots for his cat. Though they weren't referred to as such the cat's boots may have been a form of the famous Seven League Boots.
Seven league Boots, based on the stories, allow the wearer just to walk seven leagues in a single step. A league is equal to three miles so someone who can walk 21 miles (or simply under 35 km) in a single step is moving pretty fast. Evidently these boots are no longer available and would probably be outlawed in many athletic events when they were. But Puma Future Cat Ferrari Yellow footwear is a pleasant alternative.