SOM Footwear is putting the focus on your feet this year. Try going anywhere, or doing most anything, without using your feet and you will quickly realize how important, and yet often overlooked and taken for granted, your feet are. Over the course of this year SOM will be providing you with in-depth knowledge about your feet as well as tips and tricks for making sure your feet don’t become painful and subsequently prevent you from living life as you wish.
So, let’s get started with some basic facts about feet:
- Each foot has 26 bones, 33 joints, 19 muscles, 10 tendons and 107 ligaments
- A pair of feet has 250,000 sweat glands
- Your two feet can create half a pint of sweat a day
- U.S. size 28.5 is the world record for the largest feet
- A 2.5 inch heel will increase the load on the forefoot by 75%
- The average person will walk 115,000 miles in their lifetime
- It takes 5 to 6 months to grow an entirely new toenail
- There are nearly 8000 nerves in our feet (that is why most people have ticklish feet!)
That’s right, the foot is a very complicated (as pictured below), highly depended-upon part of our bodies. Nearly a quarter of all the bones in our bodies are located in our feet.
But, just because our feet are intricate doesn’t mean they have to be a mystery. Let’s focus on the big picture at this point and make sure we know the basics.
Ankle: The joint that connects the bones of the lower leg to those of the foot. The ankle is comprised of three main bones and three joints. 20% of all sports injuries are ankle-related, with most of those being sprained ligaments.
Achilles Tendon: A tough band of fibrous material that connects the calf muscle to the heel bone. It is the thickest and strongest tendon in the body and is essential for all standing and forward movement. It is vulnerable to injury as it has a limited blood supply.
Heel: Part of the hindfoot, the heel bone is the largest bone in the foot. It works in conjunction with the arch to support and distribute loads. It also plays a very important role in motion and stability as it is the point of connection for the Achilles tendon.
Bridge (or Instep): The top of the midfoot, consisting of small bones, ligaments and tendons. This area is prone to overuse injuries that lead to bone stress fractures and inflammation of soft tissues.
Sole: The bottom of the foot. The sole contains the thickest skin found anywhere on the body, and is packed with nerve endings and sweat glands.
Arch: The curved structure of the midfoot, which forms the connection between the forefoot and the hindfoot. It aids in propulsion, balance and weight-bearing, and acts as a shock absorber for the body.
Ball: Part of the forefoot, the ball is a padded portion of the sole between the toes and the arch. The ball provides cushioning and protection for the joints that connect the toes to the rest of the foot.
Toes: Provide balance, weight-bearing assistance and function as an important driver during propulsion. They maintain contact with the ground 75% of the time while walking.
We love feet! Our feet. Your feet. All feet. This is the first in a series of posts throughout the year that are meant to help provide you with information to help you care for your feet. We are starting with the basics and will go more in-depth as the year moves along. Future posts will address topics such as muscle care, common foot problems and how to deal with them, how to properly fit shoes, and so much more. Thank you for following us during this Year Of The Foot! And remember to TREAT YOUR FEET RIGHT!!