Generally you need socks. Its quite a feat to maintain your feet in the field over an extended period but it is hugely important and resourses need to be allocated to it. Time given to allow feet to dry, breath and rest. There is a lot you can do to patch up damaged feet, but the more damage the harder it gets. Feet will take a huge amount of damage to carry you out of a tight spot. But at some point a full recovery is needed, and if substantial damage has been done then this can take weeks, if not months.
My rule of thumb is that takes three sets of dry socks to dry out a wet modern boot. Your feet can survive well in dry warm boots for a week or so. However, once soaked or worked hard feet need daily attention or they will deteriorate fast.
Those people with hardened feet, seen happily carrying out their dayly lives barefoot on TV, only do so because they have no option or more often have already cleared the paths around their homes of anything nasty. Climate makes barefeet a heathy option for when around home. Its wishfull thinking that they don't sustain damage to their feet, because they do, especially if they leave the well trodden path. Knocks, thorns and splits are common. Sandles, flip flops moccasins, jelly beach shoes and wellingtons are the easiest form of defence, and cheap. Boots a treasure. Another thing is that those with bare feet don't rush about. Work is often done in a very energy efficient way with a lot less rush than Westerners are used to. One reason is that when rushing about you tend to get yourself hurt, too often feet first. Not what you want when medical help is non existant. Zulu impi's ran miles, carrying little and often wore hide sandles.
High tech sandles are great for allowing your feet to recover in camp. Too many people on holiday are then going further afield with them and getting their feet damaged badly. Toe protection is whats missing. Unless you are a local and think like a local, don't do it. Minimum should be a pair of shoes, better a pair of boots. However, boots don't have to be over engineered as found on so many modern ones. Plain leather outers work almost anywhere. Man made sythetics are fine when leather doesn't work. Socks, or foot cloths are part of the system with thin or thick shoes/boots. You can't beat the system especially when you join the modern phenomenon of endurance marches at speed with weight. Mad dogs and English men.
I think thats enough ramblings for one night.
Really though, sores and blisters are alot worse, cause I had the unfortunate ability to experience that crap. It makes walking miserable, I actually began to wish I had super thick socks so I couldn't feel the friction on my feet anymore. Walking is still walking no matter where, even if you have to slug it through humid environments. Nothin really ever stays too dry in a jungle anyways. On my trip to Philippines, it was so humid sometimes that you'd feel nasty by the time you walked down the road for 20 minutes.