26 bones in each foot
Each of your feet has 26 bones. Your two feet together have 52. That's about a quarter of all the bones in your body!
They come in three groups. Your ankle and the back of your foot have 7 bones, called tarsals. The middle of your foot has 5 long bones, called metatarsals. Your toes have 14 bones, called phalanges.
Your big toe has 2 toe bones. Each of your other toes usually has 3, just like your fingers.
With all those bones, each foot has more than 30 joints. That lets your feet bend over rocks, sand and stairs.
The ankle
Your ankle is where your leg bones meet your foot. Your tibia and fibula hold the top of an ankle bone called the talus between them.
The talus is a special bone. It carries your weight from your leg to your foot, but not a single muscle holds on to it! Strong straps called ligaments hold it in place.
Try it: sit down and point your toes, then pull them up toward you. That up and down move happens at your ankle.
Now tip your foot so the sole faces in, then out. That side to side move happens at joints just below the talus.
The heel bone
Your heel bone is the biggest bone in your foot. Its science name is calcaneus, which you say like kal-KAY-nee-us.
When you walk, your heel usually touches the ground first. The heel bone takes that bump.
Your Achilles tendon, the thick cord at the back of your ankle, joins your calf muscles to your heel bone. When your calf muscles pull, your heel lifts, and you rise up on your toes.
Try it: gently pinch the back of your ankle, just above your heel. That thick cord is your Achilles tendon.
Arches like a bridge
Look at your foot from the inside edge. It curves up in the middle, like a bridge. That curve is called an arch.
Each foot has three arches: one along the inside, one along the outside, and one across the middle. Together they work like springs. They soak up bumps and help push you forward.
Babies' feet look flat, because a pad of fat fills in the arch. Arches usually show up as kids grow. Some people's arches stay low or flat, and that's often just fine.
Try it: wet your feet and step onto a dry sidewalk or a piece of dark paper. Look at your footprint. Can you see the gap where your arch lifted up?
Toes for balance
Your toes help you balance and push off. When you walk, your weight rolls from your heel, along the outside of your foot, and off your big toe.
Your big toe does the most pushing. That's why it is so thick and strong.
Try it: stand on one foot and watch your toes. They keep pressing and wiggling to stop you from tipping over.