We have toes for a reason.
Out toes are designed to be strong and mobile.
Babies toes can grip around a finger.
Each toe plays a part in your stability.
We need the big toe to be straight and strong to be able to push into the ground to propel us forward in walking. If it can’t do this our leg will turn out, or our knee will flick out, or our hip will hike and all of those will change our upper body and breath.
The same need for pressing down strength applies to pronation. The strength of the big toe and big toe joint controls the degree of pronation as well as the strength of the muscle chain above.
We need the baby toe (and 4th toe) to push down firmly into the floor to stabilise the outside of the leg, rotate the thighs and help shift us over the other leg in the gait cycle.
If it can’t do this our leg rotation will be reduced and so will our ability to shift over each leg in the gait cycle.
We need a strong tripod foot base.
How strong are yours?
