Sometimes, inspiration to break a record comes in many different forms, but for Louise Hollis, she decided to grow her toenails after seeing a TV show in 1982 on the longest fingernails. In this article, you will learn about human oddities and records that deal with feet, toes, and legs.
Toenails
The longest length that Hollis’ toenails have reached was in 1991 when all ten toenails combined for a measurement of 87 inches.
Toes
Did you know that there is a syndrome that affects the number of toes? Some members of the Wadomo tribe of the Zambesi Valley in Zimbabwe, and the Kalanga tribe of the eastern Kalahari Desert in Botswana experience what is known as “ostrich foot” (or the two-toed syndrome). A single mutated gene can pass on the trait along the family tree.
Legs
Having the longest legs in the world for a female isn’t what it’s all cracked up to be. There are certain limitations and frustrating boundaries that come with having a lengthy set of legs. For Svetlana Pankratova of Russia, she faces many different obstacles. In 2003, her legs were measured in Spain, where they were documented as being 51.9 inches long. Having the longest legs in the world means that she must purchase clothing that is specially made for her. She has to duck down when walking through doorways. When she travels by car or airplane, she requires a lot of legroom.
Feet
It used to be that a size 16 shoe would turn heads. However, Robert Wadlow (who holds the record for tallest man in the world) had a 37 AA shoe, which measured about 18 ½ inches long. His shoes cost $100, but were provided for free through the International Shoe Company in the United States. To show his gratitude for their gesture, Wadlow paid a visit to an estimated 800 cities in the U.S. as part of a promotional tour.
Waist
During Victorian times, it was commonplace to wear a corset, which sucked in the midsection to achieve a narrow waist and ribcage. For Cathie Jung, her love of the Victorian era led to achieving a record-breaking measurement. She is documented as having the narrowest waist in the world, measuring 21 inches. When she is wearing a corset, which pulls in the lower ribs, her waist size is reduced to just 15 inches.
Height
Currently, the tallest living man in the world is Sultan Kosen of Turkey, who is more than 8 feet tall with a height of 8 feet and 1 inch tall. In all of Guinness World Records history, Sultan is just the 11th person across the globe that has reached a height over 8 feet tall. Finding clothes is one of the hardest things that Sultan faces as being the tallest living man. Shoes are also quite a problem, as his feet measure 1 foot and 2 inches long, which makes this measurement the largest feet in the world of a living person.