Your feet are probably the most overworked part of your body. You may or may not have realized this, but they help you take almost 8,000 to 10,000 steps daily. Considering that you live for an average lifespan, these steps add up to four trips around the world! Isn’t that amazing?
Many such interesting and important facts go unnoticed by us. In Part 1 of the series, we shared six fun foot facts. And today, we are sharing six more. So, let’s dive right in, shall we?
- Toes can replace lost thumbs.
- We all know the importance of thumbs—they help us hold objects, open doors, play instruments, and eat food. But what if someone loses the thumb? Well, there is a substitute available for it: the big toe. As bizarre as it may sound, it is true, and such surgeries even have high success rates. The lost thumb is often replaced by the toe to help perform all tasks.
- Our feet are capable of doing incredibly awesome things.
- The absence of arms or hands does not mean that you cannot do fun stuff in life. In the past, people who did not have hands have done many praiseworthy things. In 2008, for instance, Jessica Cox became the first pilot to fly a plane using only her feet. Riding a motorcycle, painting a masterpiece, playing the piano, shooting a bulls-eye in archery are some more activities that people have performed using their feet.
- The largest feet are 1 foot 3 inches long.
- Brahim Takioullah from Morocco bags this prize for the largest feet in the whole world. So long are his feet that they require European size 58—which is actually impossible to find in your nearby retail store. Of course, he has to get them made by a cobbler, which cost a fortune—$5,000 for a pair of shoes!
- The longest toenails are 6 inches long.
- Here’s another mind-boggling fact—the current record for the world’s longest toenails is held by Louise Hollis of California. Each of his toenails is 6 inches long and requires two complete days of care and grooming every week!
- Women experience more foot problems.
- You probably might have guessed this one! Women are four times more prone to developing foot problems than men. You may also guess what the culprit is—high-heeled shoes. Such shoes put extreme strain and unnatural pressure on the arch and toes. This leads to many long-term foot-related problems.
- Podophobia is a thing.
- Podophobia is a fear of feet and manifests itself as an extreme revulsion to the sight of feet. People with podophobia also get upset while reading about feet, talking about feet, and even touching their own feet. In worst cases, podophobia can make people reluctant to remove socks and shoes and wash their feet properly. This can lead to infections and other problems. What’s more interesting that this affliction affects about 1 in 1,000 people!
Weren’t you surprised by all these amazing facts? We hope this gave you some insight into the “foot world”!