The foot is an amazing structure. The 26 bones it is made of have to bear the body weight and all the forces involved in standing and walking - not to mention the stresses in sports and other strenuous activities. It has to last you a lifetime! All these bones fit together in a complex arrangement, with natural arches from front to back and from side to side. They are linked to one another by joints which are held together by ligaments and tendons. This allows the natural elasticity of the foot.