**Core Concept**
The skin of the dorsum of the foot is supplied by specific cutaneous nerves that arise from the lumbar and sacral plexuses. These nerves provide sensory innervation to the foot, allowing for the perception of touch, pressure, and pain.

**Why the Correct Answer is Right**
The correct answer is the sural nerve, which is a branch of the tibial nerve. The sural nerve arises from the tibial nerve, which is a branch of the sciatic nerve, and provides sensory innervation to the lateral side of the foot, including the dorsum of the first web space. This nerve is responsible for transmitting sensory information from the skin of the foot to the central nervous system.

**Why Each Wrong Option is Incorrect**
* **Option A:** The superficial peroneal nerve is responsible for innervating the lateral aspect of the leg and the majority of the dorsum of the foot, but it does not innervate the first web space.
* **Option B:** The deep peroneal nerve is responsible for innervating the medial aspect of the leg and the first web space of the foot, but it primarily provides motor innervation to the muscles of the foot.
* **Option C:** The saphenous nerve is a branch of the femoral nerve that provides sensory innervation to the medial aspect of the leg, but it does not innervate the foot.

**Clinical Pearl / High-Yield Fact**
The sural nerve is often used as a landmark for the location of the saphenous vein, which is commonly used for venipuncture in the foot.

**Correct Answer:** D. The sural nerve provides sensory innervation to the dorsum of the first web space of the foot.