The long bones of the foot

What it does

The metatarsals form the long middle of your foot. Their back ends link to the midfoot bones, and their rounded front ends make up the ball of the foot, which takes the weight as you push off with each step. The first, behind the big toe, is the shortest and thickest.

Why it matters

Building up running distance too quickly, or switching to very thin shoes, can overload the metatarsals before they have time to strengthen.

Nearby

• The toe bones
• The cuboid (foot bone)
• The medial cuneiform (foot bone)
• The sesamoid bones of the big toe

Read more

• Metatarsal bones — Wikipedia