Nobody likes them, they stink, they look funny, and they spend all day on the ground where they belong... But there are some fascinating foot facts out there that we just didn't know until we started to really dig in. From ancient high-heels to fully loaded cement trucks, here are 11 of the best:
- Our feet are home to about a quarter of all bones in our bodies. That's 52 total, or 26 per foot.
- Humans have been wearing shoes for about 40,000 years. The oldest preserved shoe is 5,500 years old and was found in Armenia
- There was a 'foot cheese' exhibit in Ireland... Apparently our sweaty feet make a perfect home for bacteria. And to top it off, in 2013 an exhibition in Dublin displayed a variety of cheeses made with bacteria from people's feet, armpits, and belly button... #WTF
- We have nearly 8,000 nerves in our feet, making them the most ticklish parts of our body.
- The average person will walk around 100,000 miles in a lifetime... This stress can lead to lower back pain, headaches, indigestion, and spine misalignment... Thank goodness for Wiivvs!
- Our toenails get thicker as we age... It's normal... It's gross... It'll happen to you!
- It's harder to stand in one spot for a period of time then it is to walk for that same length of time... This is because you're demanding more from fewer muscles.
- During an average day of walking, the total force of your body on your feet can equal hundreds of tons... Or the average weight of a fully loaded cement truck.
- A 2 1/2-inch high heel can increase the load on your forefoot by 75%
- Buying a new pair of shoes? Do it in the afternoon when your feet are tired and swollen to make sure they fit you at your 'biggest'.
- The soles of your feet contain more sweat glands and nerves per square cm than any other part of your body!
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