4 Toe Facts You May Not Know
There are some surprising facts about toes of which most people are completely unaware. For example, did you know that some cultures believe a person's fifth toe is connected to their wealth and prosperity?1
Here are some more fascinating toe facts you’ll enjoy!
Your big toe bears more weight
Every time you take a step, your weight gets shifted forward onto the big toe as you get ready to launch. That means the big toe may be forced to bear the weight as you push away.2 When you think about the number of times you repeat this action on any given day, it's not surprising that people may develop problems with their big toes.
Toes can replace lost thumbs
One of the more interesting toe facts is the idea that someone who has lost a thumb can replace it with their big toe. This is a surgical procedure that has been performed successfully many times in the past and continues in the present time.3 When your big toe gets attached to the rest of your hand, it can accomplish many of the same activities your thumb could, including holding a pencil, eating food, and opening doors.
Ticklish feet are good
There are approximately 8,000 nerves situated in your feet alone, so it's no wonder that many people are more ticklish on the bottoms of their feet than any other body part. If you are very ticklish on your feet, that's a good sign because it means all those thousands of nerves are firing correctly.4
The big toe differentiates humans from apes
One of the outstanding developments of evolution is in the specific function of the big toe. In apes, the big toe is used more for grasping, as is necessary when moving between trees. In humans, however, the big toe has evolved to be more useful in walking and standing upright, thereby differentiating us from our cousins.2
Best toe forward
We hope you’ve enjoyed this foray into the weird and wonderful world of toes. They may seem like a mundane body part, but we think they’re pretty amazing when you take a closer look. And now that you know some interesting facts about them, we bet you won’t be able to look at your feet in quite the same way again! So go ahead and give those toes a good stretch – they deserve it.
