Glowing toes symbolizing enhanced balance

Tiny Toe Tweaks, Big Balance Boost: How Your Toes Impact Stability

Lena Voss in Health & Wellness June 2025 • 4 min read.

"New research reveals how subtle changes in toe position can significantly affect balance, opening doors to innovative solutions for fall prevention and enhanced stability."

Our feet are the unsung heroes of balance, acting as the primary interface between our bodies and the ground. The plantar surface, or the sole of the foot, is rich in cutaneous receptors that provide crucial sensory information for maintaining postural control. Understanding how these receptors work can lead to innovative ways to improve balance and stability.

These mechanoreceptors are highly sensitive to pressure and vibration, playing a crucial role in detecting even subtle shifts in weight distribution. Because of this sensitivity, researchers have investigated how manipulating pressure on different parts of the foot can influence the center of pressure (CoP), a key indicator of balance.

Building on this knowledge, a recent study explored the effect of adding small increments of thickness under the toes on upright balance in healthy individuals. The aim was to determine if even minor changes in toe position could significantly alter postural control.

The Surprising Science of Toes and Balance: How Additional Thickness Under the Toes Could Change Upright Balance

Glowing toes symbolizing enhanced balance

The study, published in Neurophysiologie Clinique/Clinical Neurophysiology, investigated the impact of additional thickness under the toes (TUT) on CoP measurements. Researchers compared four conditions: a control (no additional thickness) and TUT of 0.8 mm, 3 mm, and 6 mm. Participants stood on a force plate, and their postural oscillations were recorded.

Four key variables were calculated from the CoP displacements to assess balance: surface of CoP excursions, frontal (X) mean position of CoP, sagittal (Y) mean position of CoP, and variance of speed of CoP. By analyzing these parameters, the researchers aimed to pinpoint the optimal thickness required to maximize postural control performance.

Surface of CoP Excursions: Measures the area covered by the center of pressure during stance.
Frontal (X) Mean Position of CoP: Indicates the average side-to-side position of the center of pressure.
Sagittal (Y) Mean Position of CoP: Indicates the average front-to-back position of the center of pressure.
Variance of Speed of CoP: Reflects the variability in the speed of the center of pressure movement.

The results revealed significant differences in the sagittal (Y) mean position of CoP and the variance of speed of CoP. Specifically, the 0.8 mm TUT condition showed a notable difference compared to the control condition. These findings suggest that even a minimal change in toe position can influence balance control.

The Takeaway: Small Changes, Significant Impact

This study underscores the importance of sensory information from the toes in maintaining balance. The finding that even small changes can affect postural control opens up new possibilities for therapeutic interventions. These interventions could be beneficial in managing patients at risk of falling or those with chronic pain syndromes, offering a simple, inexpensive way to enhance sensory feedback from plantar receptors.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1016/j.neucli.2018.08.001, Alternate LINK

Title: Low Additional Thickness Under The Toes Could Change Upright Balance Of Healthy Subjects

Subject: Physiology (medical)

Journal: Neurophysiologie Clinique

Publisher: Elsevier BV

Authors: Frederic Viseux, Franck Barbier, Philippe Villeneuve, Antoine Lemaire, Pascal Charpentier, Sebastien Leteneur

Published: 2018-12-01

Everything You Need To Know

What is the role of the plantar surface in maintaining balance?

The plantar surface, or the sole of the foot, is densely populated with cutaneous receptors. These mechanoreceptors are highly sensitive to pressure and vibration. This sensitivity is crucial for detecting subtle weight shifts, which is vital for maintaining postural control. The mechanoreceptors are responsible for conveying sensory information about the body's position relative to the ground, allowing the body to make necessary adjustments to maintain balance. Understanding the role of these receptors is critical to enhancing balance and stability.

How is the Center of Pressure (CoP) used to measure balance?

The Center of Pressure (CoP) is a key indicator of balance, representing the point where the ground reaction force is applied to the foot. Researchers use CoP measurements, including the surface of CoP excursions, frontal (X) mean position of CoP, sagittal (Y) mean position of CoP, and the variance of speed of CoP, to assess postural control. These parameters help to quantify how the body maintains balance by measuring the area and movement patterns of the pressure point under the foot. Changes in CoP measurements directly reflect the body's ability to maintain stability.

What methods were used in the study to test the impact of toe position on balance?

The study examined the impact of adding small increments of thickness under the toes (TUT) on upright balance. The study used different TUT conditions: a control (no additional thickness) and TUT of 0.8 mm, 3 mm, and 6 mm. Participants were assessed while standing on a force plate, and postural oscillations were recorded. Key variables, like the surface of CoP excursions, frontal (X) mean position of CoP, sagittal (Y) mean position of CoP, and variance of speed of CoP, were calculated from the CoP displacements. The aim was to determine the optimal thickness required to maximize postural control performance.

What were the key findings regarding toe position and balance?

The results indicated significant differences in the sagittal (Y) mean position of CoP and the variance of speed of CoP when comparing the 0.8 mm TUT condition to the control condition. These findings suggest that even a minimal change in toe position can influence balance control. This indicates that the sensory feedback from the toes plays a significant role in maintaining balance, and even small adjustments can have a noticeable impact on postural stability.

What are the implications of these findings for improving balance and preventing falls?

The study highlights the importance of sensory information from the toes for maintaining balance, and offers a way to enhance sensory feedback from plantar receptors. The findings suggest that even small changes in toe position can affect postural control. This opens up possibilities for therapeutic interventions for individuals at risk of falling or those with chronic pain syndromes. Such interventions could offer a simple, inexpensive method to improve balance and stability.