Did you know that the human foot has 26 bones, 33 joints and more than 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments? No wonder 75% of Americans will experience foot pain at one time or another in their life! Here are some other fun foot facts:
· A pair of feet contain over 250,000 sweat glands – our palms and soles contain more sweat glands than any other part of the body!
· The average person walks approximately 115,000 miles in their lifetime – this equates to walking roundtrip from Phoenix to New York City a total of 27 times!
· The record for the world’s largest feet is held by Matthew McGrory. This 29 year old Pennsylvania native is 7’ 4” tall and wears size 28.5 shoes!
· The records for the world’s smallest feet is held by Ms. Liu. A native of China, her feet were bound at the age of 5. Now, 90 years later her feet remain the size of a 5 year old.
· Extra digits, also called polydactyly, isn’t as rare as you might think. It occurs in 1-2 per 1,000 births, and according to E! Online, Halle Berry has an extra toe!
· In the United States, the most commonly sold shoe sizes are 8.5 for women and 10.5 for men.
· The record for the heaviest weight lifted with his toes is held by Guy Phillips – he lifted 51 pounds using only his toes!
· In 2008, 25 year old Jessica Cox of Tucson, AZ became the first licensed pilot to fly a plane with her feet – Jessica was born without arms.
· Women are four times more likely to have foot problems than men – this is likely due to shoe style.
· Heel pain and ingrown toenails are the most commonly searched foot ailments on Google.
· Victoria Beckham, Paris Hilton and Sarah Jessica Parker all suffer from bunions!
We hope you found these facts as interesting as we did! If you have any foot and ankle concerns, please consider making an appointment with Dr. Jay C. Larson at Sole Foot and Ankle Specialists in Glendale Arizona