Dr Michelle Dickinson: Nanotechnologist on the new research showing bigger feet aren't just bigger versions of small feet

Have you ever wondered whether people with big feet just have larger versions of the same foot structure as those with smaller feet?   New research published in Royal Society Open Science took a deep dive into how human feet change shape with size, and the results were surprising. The researchers studied the two largest bones in the human foot, the talus (which connects the foot to the leg) and the calcaneus (better known as the heel bone). They gathered 3D computed tomography (CT) scans from 36 adults, covering a range of foot sizes. Then, they used advanced statistical modelling to examine how these bones' shapes and surfaces scaled with size.  If big feet were just larger versions of small feet, their bones would scale isometrically, meaning that all dimensions would grow at the same rate. However, if the bones changed shape as they got bigger, they would be scaling allometrically, adapting their proportions to accommodate different stresses and forces.  The results showed that while the talus scaled pretty much as expected (meaning it grew proportionally in all directions), the calcaneus did something different. Instead of just getting larger, it became more cube-like as foot size increased. The researchers found that as the heel bone got bigger, it became taller, wider, and shorter in length relative to its size. This means that big feet are not just enlarged copies of small feet, their bones actually shift in shape to better handle stress and pressure.  Interestingly, the joint surfaces of the calcaneus, where it connects with other bones, grew at a faster rate than the rest of the bone. This suggests that larger feet need bigger contact areas at the joints to distribute pressure more effectively, reducing stress and potential injury.  Understanding how foot bones scale can have major implications for medicine, biomechanics, and even footwear design.   Next time you look at your feet, or someone else's, you can appreciate that they might be very different to your own. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.