NY and CA Podiatrists Explain the Purpose of the Pinky Toe
Human toes, long removed from their tree-gripping days, are mostly noticed only when they are stubbed or exposed in sandals. In one 2009 experiment, researchers tested the efficiency of various toe lengths in humans, finding that individuals with longer toes had to expend a lot more energy to run, suggesting an advantage for smaller toes for us bipeds. Even the little pinky, which looks like a contender for the most pointless appendage on the human body, does its job and does it well.
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(L-R) Drs. Bruce Pinker and Wenjay Sung |
"The purpose of the pinky toe is to provide balance and propulsion," podiatrist Bruce Pinker, DPM from Progressive Foot Care (NY) told How Stuff Works. "As one takes a step, the foot rolls from lateral to medial in normal foot biomechanics." “We walk like a tripod fashion, where the big toe knuckle, the fifth toe knuckle and the heel, have a tripod walking ability,” Wenjay Sung, DPM attending physician at White Memorial Medical Group (CA) told PopSci. “If you remove one part of that tripod, you lose balance.”
Source: James Felton, IFL Science [12/14/25]
