What's your favorite part of your body? For some, it's their eyes, because they allow them to see the world around them. Others couldn't do without their ears, because they love to listen to music. Many people would probably say their tongues, since they bring the tastes of delicious foods to life.

On the other hand…or foot, not many people would claim that their toes are their favorite body part. Why not? Some might point to the fact that they're dirty and stinky from time to time. Others might point out the fact that they don't seem to be all that useful.

Do toes even do anything? Why do we have them? Do they serve any purpose? Could we live without them? These are all things many people might WONDER about their toes.

Rest assured, you need your toes. In fact, they are quite practical. Even though we can't use them to cling to tree branches or pick fruits, like chimpanzees can, our toes serve a few important purposes.

For example, your toes provide balance and support when you walk. When you walk, your toes maintain contact with the ground about 75% of the time. They exert pressure in a manner similar to the metatarsal foot bones integral to movement.

Your toes help your feet to bear the weight of your body when you walk. They play an even more important role in running. When you use your whole foot while running, your toes effectively increase the overall length of your foot, allowing you to run faster.

Of all your toes, your big toes are the most important. They play the most critical role in maintaining your balance. They also bear the most weight when standing. Your big toes can bear almost twice as much weight as the other toes combined.

The least important of your toes are undoubtedly your pinky toes. As the smallest toes, they bear the least weight and have the least impact on maintaining balance. People born without pinky toes or those who lose one in an accident will see very little, if any, changes to how their feet function.

Of course, all these practical uses for toes shouldn't overshadow one of the fun uses for toes: tickling! If you have a friend with ticklish toes, you know how fun it can be to tickle them and send them into peals of laughter!

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We hope you enjoy tomorrow’s fire-breathing Wonder of the Day!