Anyone with flat feet? Any kind of insert to put in shoes to make them feel better?

[LordJezo]

Having flat feet stinks.

Finding shoes to wear is a huge pain in the butt and even then they don't always feel right.

Anyone have any advice on what to do?

 

[hzl eyed grl]

I have flat feet too and have the same problem. It really sucks. I'm curious to see about the inserts too.

 

[FeathersMcGraw]

My parents swear by these.

 

[iamwiz82]

i have flat feet but inserts hurt my arch so much that i wouldnt be able to walk after a full day of use.

 

[vi edit]

If you are serious about helping the problem, then I suggest looking into a highly recommended podiatrist in your area. They can analyze your feet, and determine if you need orthotic inserts. They basically take moldings of your feet, and custom make an insert of the exact height that you need to balance out your feet.

They are expensive, but VERY worth it. They don't break down like the foam ones that you buy from a store, they are desined to basically be part of your foot, and you actually have a specialist looking at your feet and doing an educated remedy, instead of self perscribed.

A good insurance plan will cover most of the costs anyway. Your feet take a huge amount of abuse, treat them well.

 

[LordJezo]

I don't understand what the inserts mean..

They say they provide arch support, but if I don't have much of an arch what would they be supporting?

 

[vi edit]

When you have flat feet your feet tpically do what's called "pronating". Pronating is when your feet roll inwards twords your arch. This is due to you having no arch to hold your feet up, so they collapse inwards. An insert basically plays the roll of your arch and "supports" your feet up, trying to prevent the pronation.

The problem is, all feet are different, and have different forms of motion, and the off the shelf inserts are formed to fit a general foot - not yours. It may be too much, or too little support, and you may end up making matters worse. That is why I suggest seing a specialist.

 

[Moonbeam]

What Vi_edit says. Cost me $225.

 

[AU Tiger]

You also want to look for running/exercise shoes that offer a lot of stability. These have increased arch so that your feet won't overpronate.

My wife develop plantar fasciatis while pregnant and in addition her feet are now pronating more than they used to. She went the podiatrist and now has the custom made inserts.

 

[hzl eyed grl]

My knee doc said to get some long distance running shoes. I'm gonna try that and see if it helps.

 

[tweakmm]

Go to a podiatrist

 

[HappyPuppy]

Try here for inserts:

Good Feet