# Any Advantage for Humans in Having Split Toes?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advantage-for-humans-in-having-split-toes/787361>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [May 24, 2017, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advantage-for-humans-in-having-split-toes/787361 "2017-05-24T19:28:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advantage-for-humans-in-having-split-toes/787361/21 "2017-05-25T13:12:17Z")

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> [@Senegoid](#):
>
> It’s a real trick that you humans are able to stand upright on your hind legs and balance and walk easily

Something suspicious about this sentence…😕

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**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advantage-for-humans-in-having-split-toes/787361/22 "2017-05-25T13:22:22Z")

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> [@Flyer](#):
>
> [UCSB Science Line](http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=3067)  
> [Toes Are Disgusting. Do We Even Need Them? | RealClearScience](http://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2013/09/toes-are-disgusting-do-we-need-them.html)

Not really. That poster was implying we wouldn’t be able to stand properly without toes. That’s not the same thing. I can’t read your second cite, but your first one is some sort of internet answer site. That’s not really any more convincing that someone posting here.

It’s unclear how different our feet would function with toes inside our feet. The bones and muscles probably wouldn’t go away, it’s just that we wouldn’t have individual toes. When your feet are in tight shoes (which is pretty much the same thing), you can still walk, stand on one foot, etc.

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**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\
**Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-advantage-for-humans-in-having-split-toes/787361/23 "2017-05-25T13:24:09Z")

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> [@Slash1972](#):
>
> Something suspicious about this sentence…😕

Yeah, I [noticed that](https://xkcd.com/1530/), too.

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