Toes and toenails: what they are good for and why they hurt so much when we stub them
Toes put up with a lot of pressure for their size. They help us balance on two legs. They were used in Japanese art to show sexual pleasure, and people born with too many were revered in some civilisations
Toes may appear a fairly redundant – and certainly strange looking – part of the anatomy, but they serve several important purposes. Most significantly, they help to support the weight of the body and maintain balance.
Appropriately named Karlyn Harfoot, a Hong Kong-based chiropodist and podiatrist, says that although the foot is the most stressed part of the body, it is also “the most neglected” (perhaps more pedicures are in order?).
Toes are crucial to the functioning of our feet, she says. While walking and running, toes touch the ground almost 75 per cent of the time. The big toes are the real heroes – able to bear up to almost twice the weight as all your other toes combined.
The big toe is even more amazing in terms of evolution. Scientists at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg have identified that the base of the big toe (the hallux) is what allows humans to walk upright – making us different from apes whose toes are more like thumbs, able to grip objects and climb.
But our big toes go above and beyond their balancing and supporting functions – by turning into a thumb. Toe-to-thumb surgery has become a life-changing operation for those who may have severely injured thumbs.