In honor of Love My Feet Day, we are going to give you some facts about your feet that you may not know.
“The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art.”
Leonardo da Vinci
Did you know that it takes 18 years for feet to be fully formed? Yes, babies are born with mostly soft cartilage in their feet. There are only 22 partially formed bones which will over time become 26 bones.
“I can’t be funny if my feet don’t feel right.”
Billy Crystal
According to Real Simple Magazine, there are exercises you can do that will relieve your sore feet in 15 minutes. The exercises are a series of stretches. You can also soak your feet in Epsom salts or essential oils (no essential oils? Peppermint tea will work!)
“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.”
Dr. Seuss
Did you know that Ernest Hemingway was given a six toed cat by a ship’s captain and the descendants of that cat still live at the Hemingway Home and Museum on Key West? There are between 40-50 polydactyl (six-toed) cats living at the Museum. There can also be people who have six fingers or toes. Halle Berry and Oprah are famous polydactyl people.
“Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious.”
Stephen Hawking
And then there are things that are just rather cringe worthy. Toenails grow very slowly – about one millimeter per month. Yes, that is why it takes so long to grow out any fungal nails or bruised nails that you might have. Wondering about the cringe worthy part? Well, there is a woman in California who holds the record for the longest toe nails. Yep, her toe nails are six inches long! I bet she doesn’t wear closed toe shoes.
“Usually, I wear tennis shoes because my feet are flat and it hurts to wear anything other than shoes that are cushiony.”
Ellen DeGeneres
Ellen might try visiting her friendly local podiatrist to get some othotics that will help her feel more comfortable in shoes. The orthotics are custom made and will support her foot so that the ligaments won’t hurt from being stretched.
So, how are you at recognizing feet? There is a quiz from sporcle on famous feet. I bet you can do better than I did!
Give those feet a special treat tonight and use some moisturizer. Show them some love!