Having Fun with Feet

At Goldsmith Podiatry, we know taking care of our Manhattan patients’ feet is serious business. But that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun along the way! Here are some fun, kooky, fascinating facts to enjoy about feet.

Incredibly Made

  • Each pair of feet contain 52 bones—that’s nearly a quarter of all the bones in your body.

  • The sweat glands in your feet are capable of producing up to a one-half pint of perspiration every day.

  • More sensory nerve endings per square centimeter are found on the soles of your feet than any other part of the body.

  • Each time your heel lifts off the ground as you walk it results in your toes carrying one-half of your entire body weight.

By the Numbers

  • 75% of all Americans will experience a foot problem at some point in their lives.

  • It takes 5-6 months to grow an entirely new toenail.

  • During the course of a lifetime, the average person will walk approximately 115,000 miles—that’s equal to circling the globe more than four times.

Women vs. Men

  • On average, women walk three miles more per day than men.

  • It’s estimated that 9 out of 10 women wear shoes that are too small for their feet.

  • Women experience four times more foot problems than men.

  • Gout affects men more than women—it most commonly strikes men ages 40-60.

Shoe Stoppers

  • A heel 2 ½ inches high can result in an increase in load to your forefoot of 75%

  • The most expensive shoes on record are Dorothy’s ruby red slippers from the Wizard of Oz which sold for $660,000.

  • The U.S. Rubber Company invented the first sneaker, so named because the silent, rubber soles allowed the wearer to “sneak” around unheard.

  • The oldest know shoe is 5,500 years old and found in Armenia.

Perhaps the most important fact of all, however, is that you can take steps everyday to help ensure that your feet stay healthy and enable you to live the active life you love. Our podiatrists, Dr. Howard Goldsmith, Dr. Rosanna Troia and Dr. Kristina Ruff are here to help. To learn more about your feet and how to better care for them, contact us at our Upper West Side office by calling 212-877-1002.

Foot HealthGoldsmith Podiatryfoot facts, feet, foot health