Most likely not, unless there is benefit in it for them. The word manipulate has a negative connotation to it, but there ia something to be said about experiencing new things in this case shoes.

The african sun could heat rocks up so much that people maybe couldnt walk on it barefoot or it could provide protection from thorns ect.

But in the sense of maybe westernization and the fight club saying 'we buy things we don't need to impress people we don't like'.
I could understand what you are trying to say.

The moral of the story was what I was trying to convey. Nothing more. It had nothing insincere behind it. Also I told the story as it was told to me, for its lesson. But as you pointed out, there are many lessons one could learn here.

Thank you for the awesome comment. It has given me sometime to think about.