Everyone is talking about Meghan Markle's second-biggest toe — a totally normal topic for a Thursday afternoon in 2018.
Apparently, Meghan's second-biggest toe is quite a bit longer than her first. It's a condition known as "Morton's toe," and the Duchess of Sussex has it.
People began to notice Meghan's "situation" back in April after some photos arose of her feet in black strappy heels. It's actually against royal protocol to wear open-toed shoes, so we likely won't catch any more glimpses of the duchess' toes anytime soon.
But fortunately for Meghan, Morton's toe is a nonissue for most people who develop it — which is lots of people.
According to MortonsToe.com, this condition is actually pretty common — it's estimated that about 10% to 30% of the population has it.
That means there's a 20% chance that you have something in common with the duchess, which is obviously the real reason that this is big news.
As the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle is constantly under scrutiny — from her head to her toes.
Literally, to her toes. We don't often see Meghan's toes, since she rarely wears open shoes or goes barefoot.
But back in April, people began to freak out when they realized something significant about Meghan's feet in old photos.
Namely, that her second toe is longer than her first.
The condition is called Morton's toe. It's a common deformity that occurs when the big toe is shorter than one or more of the other toes.
Because she's the Duchess of Sussex, lots of speculation arose about Meghan's feet (and this isn't the first time that's happened).
A solestry (foot-reading) expert even told the Sun that Meghan's short big toe reveals that she "has natural leadership qualities."
Perhaps all the ridiculous fuss is why Meghan only wears closed-toed shoes these days?
Even when she's on an actual beach?
But nope — that's just because open-toed shoes are off-limits for royal women.
Truthfully, Morton's toe is nothing to be ashamed of. It's incredibly common and easy to spot — if your big toe is shorter than any of your other toes, you have Morton's toe. Now you know.
And you're in great company, not only with the Duchess of Sussex, but also with about one-fifth of the general population.
"It's found in about 20% of the population," Jacqueline Sutera, DPM, told Health.
Morton's toe is genetic, so there's nothing you can do to prevent it. But it doesn't usually cause any serious issues.
Still, most shoes aren't designed for people with Morton's toe, so the condition can cause some annoyances, like calluses, corns, or toenail issues.
“Toenail damage, ingrown nails, and nail injury is also very common from having a longer second toe, especially if you wear high heels, pointy, narrow, tight shoes, or are a runner," Dr. Sutera explained.
The solution? Look for shoes with a roomier toe box. Maybe that's one more reason why Meghan prefers her shoes slightly roomy.
