Daniel Thomas on Unsplash " />Baby feet. I’m going to be honest, I thought pinky toes were a little obsolete. I know that sounds silly but they’re so small and stubby, I figured evolution had delegated their role to the other toes and they were just kind of... vibing and we could easily live without them. In my defence, we do have body parts which we could live without. According to Harvard Health , we could comfortably live without our appendix, tonsils, adenoids, gallbladder, uterus and thymus gland. So, y’know. If we can do without a gallbladder , surely our littlest toe can’t be that important? The purpose of pinky toes Speaking to How Stuff Works, podiatrist Dr. Bruce Pinker with Progressive Foot Care in Nanuet, New York said: “The purpose of the pinky toe is to provide balance and propulsion. “As one takes a step, the foot rolls from lateral to medial in normal foot biomechanics.” When the pinky toe is damaged in some way, this can affect the propulsion of the foot, leading to affected gait. Podiatrist Dr Mark Hinkes added: “In fact, our reliance on the foot’s “tripod” of balance (the heel, pinky toe knuckle and big toe knuckle) is pretty critical. “Loss of one of those elements can significantly inhibit a person’s ability to skip, run or walk . The pinky also helps us to push off the side of a swimming pool when diving in, making it extra-important to the livelihoods of competitive swimmers.” The best kind of shoes to choose to protect your toes Guy’s and St Thomas’s NHS Foundation Trust advise: “If you have wide shoes but your little toes still get squashed, look at the bottom of the shoe. Imagine a line, or hold a pencil, in the centre of the heel. Does the outside front edge of the shoe curve inwards compared to the heel? “Many shoes are made like this. A straighter shoe shape will help avoid squashing your little toes. “Hard surfaces like pavements are unnatural. To give your feet some shock absorption, buy shoes with thicker soles and soft padding. Trainers are ideal for this, and often have a rocker at the forefoot helping the toes to propel forward.” Keep those toes happy – they’re important! Related... Toes Looking Weird? You Could Have High Cholesterol I Just Learned How Often We're Meant To Wash Our Shoes, And I'm Appalled I'm A Podiatrist – These Are The Best Kids' School Shoes To Buy