What purpose do toes serve on the human foot?

Why don't you have your toes amputated.  Then you'll know what they were good for.  Seriously, I think they help you grip the ground when your on uneven terrain.  That would have been more important before they invented hard soled shoes and sidewalks.

  Without them we couldn't balance these unwieldy, top-heavy bodies of ours. 

~

They help one balance when they're walking.

You wouldn't be able to walk without them.  They allow us to balance standing upright so we don't have to crawl on hands and knees. 

You skipped general science in junior high. This post was edited by Thriftymaid at December 18, 2018 6:30 AM MST

Balance.

Watch an individual without them.  They have to change their posture and compensate and it is not an easy task.

I doubt if there are any toeless surfers.  Hang Ten has a deeper meaning.

They look pretty and are nice to wiggle at times.....they are also handy fof picking things up with off of the floor....
There was a documentary about a young women born with no arms.....she did everything with her feet....she had a baby that she cared for ...she could do up tiny buttons with her toes...cook clean and drive a car....
It was so  wonderful to watch her just get on with thing....nothing it seemed was impossible for her to achive...

we need to walk on thenn

They are devices for finding furniture, and yours are working nicely.

youre right they are useless. you should cut them off

Balance and agility on uneven ground - the big toe especially.
You can get the feel of how it works in yoga and dance classes, or rock climbing.
Toes are evolved for barefoot living.
Also handy for gripping things to pick up from the floor.

I used to stub my left big toe a lot as a child. Had to learn to pick my feet up more, be more conscious about my movements.