Arch Support Shoe Recommendations Needed - Flat Feet

[belle&sebastiansmom]

I need recommendations for sneakers with great arch support. Flat feet are causing me a lot of problems, podiatrist is making orthotics and said to get a good supported sneaker. He said New Balance with a high number (who knew the numbers meant anything) is what he wears, but others are also good.

If these are "off-brands," where do you find these shoes?

Question I forgot to ask the Dr., but if I get arch support shoes and the custom insoles, is that too much support? Overkill?

Should I expect the arch supports to be uncomfortable at first?

 

[golfgal]

I wouldn't get ANY shoes until you get your arch supports. You may need to buy a larger size to accommodate the support. I have very high arches and I can't wear New Balance. I like Asics the best but that doesn't mean they will be right for your feet. I would go to a running shoe store where they are actually trained to fit your gate, feet, etc. and get you into the proper shoes (even if you aren't running--they will have cross trainers that are good for every day shoes but I wear running shoes for every day tennis shoes too).

 

[NY Disney fan]

Arch supports should be custom made for flat feet. They should be the super hard kind. Anything that is soft & bendable will kill your feet and will do nothing for you. The over the counter arch support inserts are junk. I'm a flat feet junkie and know a lot about them. In all honesty, (I'm not a doctor) try to stay away from sneakers. Buy a good pair but they should not be your primary shoe. You need a shoe with a bit of a heel to lift your foot up. Like a loafer with a 1" heel. The best shoe for running around to do errands is CROCS. Crocs were made for flat feet. To me, sneakers are too flat to give you real support. But that's just my 2 cents.

 

[mamacatnv]

My DS has flat feet and issues with Plantar Fasciatis (sp?)- he has discovered these.....Loves them, wears them all the time.

http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/indexNA.cfm

He has pretty much stopped wearing his orthotics. When he was in orthotics he wore athletic shoes, he just had to make sure the insole was removable so his orthotics would fit.
When he was in orthotics he wore athletic shoes, he just had to make sure the insole was removable so his orthotics would fit. He likes Asics but he also has very wide feet and they fit him well.

 

[NY Disney fan]

My DS has flat feet and issues with Plantar Fasciatis (sp?)- he has discovered these.....Loves them, wears them all the time.

http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/indexNA.cfm

With all due respect, these are probably the worst thing you could wear when you have flat feet. These "shoes" are like socks. They have no support whatsoever. They could actually ruin your feet by overstressing the ligaments and tendons in the foot. Some people CAN wear these with no issues but those with flat feet or PF should not wear them.

 

[belle&sebastiansmom]

Yes, the orthotics that will be made for me will be harder than the ones you can buy at the store. So I may have to take the shoe insole out for the orthotic to fit? And what is the best type of shoe? Too many options of running, walking, tennis, cross country. Which, by the way, I don't do any of! lol NYDisneyFan - any recommendations for those loafers with arch supports?

 

[NY Disney fan]

NYDisneyFan - any recommendations for those loafers with arch supports?

Aerosoles & Easy Spirits are two good brands of shoes. I'm a fan of swanky cute shoes with rubber soles. To me, having flat feet means that high heels feel so good on your feet, they feel like sneakers. Wearing ballerina flats is like torture for flat footed people. Heels, flats with a bit of a heel and Crocs are the best. Note: these shoes do not have arch supports, they feel good on your feet WITHOUT arch supports. You will need the supports for sneakers and other shoes.

Edited: The Crocs flip flops are amazing. They lift your heel off the ground too. Not like regular flip flops.

 

[Imzadi]

I had orthotic arch supports custom made for my flat feet. Then I switched to these sports orthotic that I can fit into any sneaker by simply taking out the current insole and sliding the orthotic in. These were fitted on my by a record breaking, world class marathon runner, Stu Middleman, who always wears them in his sneakers.

Now, I wear them when shoe shopping and slide it into the shoes I'm trying on, make sure the sneaker/shoe will fit me once they are in.

They aren't cheap, but now I can wear any brand of sneakers/shoes instead of only getting the ugly orthopedic shoes. I have two pair so I can swap them out into the different shoes & sneakers I'm wearing.

You can get them cheaper at eBay than off Stu's website:
http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=LYNCO+L420+SPORTS+ORTHOTIC&_sacat=0&_trksid=p3286.m270.l1313&_odkw=LYNCO+L400+SPORTS+ORTHOTIC&_osacat=0&bkBtn=

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I have flat feet and do not wear arch supports...

However, when I buy running shows (Sold as "neutral", "stability", or "motion control")...

I will always buy a "stability" shoe. The various brands sell different models that meets any of these construction styles.

I tried motion contorl--but it was wayyy too much for me.

I buy them at a running store.

Most shoe stores only sell a "neutral" shoe. I have found "stability" shoes at Dick's Sporting goods.

FWIW, I would always collapse the sidewalls of my sneakers within 3 months and with a stability or motion control shoe, that doesn't happen anymore.

Of course if you need inserts, you can put them in these.

My flat feet cannot tolerate being out of their naturally-born structure--so I'll even remove provided inserts if the arch is too bothersome. Also--they are the first "type" of sneaker that I can wear all day without problems. Though, I still prefer an open flat shoe.

 

[SKWDW]

I need recommendations for sneakers with great arch support. Flat feet are causing me a lot of problems, podiatrist is making orthotics and said to get a good supported sneaker. He said New Balance with a high number (who knew the numbers meant anything) is what he wears, but others are also good.

If these are "off-brands," where do you find these shoes?

Question I forgot to ask the Dr., but if I get arch support shoes and the custom insoles, is that too much support? Overkill?

Should I expect the arch supports to be uncomfortable at first?

Custom orthotics are the best. Typically those are put in a shoe in place of the "stock" insole. I found them to be really expensive, a few hundred $$ for the ones I investigated. For a low cost alternative, some stores are now carrying a Dr. Scholl's machine that analyzes your feet and recommends the appropriate insert.

A co-worker got arch support shoes and she said it took her a few weeks to get used to the feeling. She likes them now, but they were uncomfortable when she first got them.

My choice: I bought a pair of Brook's Glycerin 8 shoes back in January, in preparation for walking a 1/2 marathon in mid-April. They've been amazing for my flat feet. I just completed a 12 mile walk yesterday, and my feet feel great today. Brook's has an on-line shoe advisor that walks you through criteria for the best shoe for your feet.

 

[PrincessV]

Mine aren't completely flat, but they're darned close. I only have problems at WDW and when running. For running shoes, I wore New Blance for years, until recently when I couldn't find one that felt right. Asics were suggested and WOWSA, I love them!

Edited: The Crocs flip flops are amazing. They lift your heel off the ground too. Not like regular flip flops.

ITA - Crocs are my summer go-to's for WDW and running errands!

I will always buy a "stability" shoe. The various brands sell different models that meets any of these construction styles.

ITA with that, too. Motion control was too much for me, as well.


I'll add this: DANSKO! I had no idea my feet, knees and back could feel so good!

 

[Wishing on a star]

My son has some pretty flat feet...

We went to Foot Solutions, there is one about an hour away from us.

This is what he was fitted with....
On top it is a comfortable, quality insole, but this is fitted onto a rigid/supportive arch support underneath. Seems to be a good orthotic.
I just measured, and the curve of the arch comes up a full inch.

We got them WAY cheaper in the store than the price listed online.

http://shop.footsolutions.com/foot/...150+Arch+Supports&pf_id=10001703&dept_id=2007

If anyone is getting custom orthotics, then I would wait to receive those, and then see what shoes they work well in.

For flip flops for him this summer, I am looking at these...
The Orthoheel Ryder Flipflop
You can't really wear orthotics with flipflops!

www.orthoticshop.com/orthaheel-ryder-pronation-control-flip-flop-black-men.html

Again, these are probably available cheaper if you search around online.
This was just one of the first links that came up that I posted above.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I'll add this: DANSKO! I had no idea my feet, knees and back could feel so good!

I ordered a pair of Dansko that were so cute, in the smallest size... still too big!!!! I believe they run a big larger/roomier... So, darn, I can't wear them. I had to send them back to Zappos!

PS: I don't know how anyone can recommend Crocs for those who need support/orthotic.

 

[mamacatnv]

With all due respect, these are probably the worst thing you could wear when you have flat feet. These "shoes" are like socks. They have no support whatsoever. They could actually ruin your feet by overstressing the ligaments and tendons in the foot. Some people CAN wear these with no issues but those with flat feet or PF should not wear them.

With all due respect, they are not like socks?
Have you worn them? I have.
Have you researched them? I have.
Do you know anything about the technology behind them? I do

They do not ruin your feet, they actually retrain your feet. We were not born with shoes and ideally barefoot or something close is actually better in the long run than anything a shoe can offer other than protection from injury.

 

[Imzadi]

However, when I buy running shoes (Sold as "neutral", "stability", or "motion control")...

I will always buy a "stability" shoe. The various brands sell different models that meets any of these construction styles.

Yes, when I said I can slip my orthotics into any shoe, I meant an appropriate shoe with the proper stability to begin with. That means none of the squishy sided shoes. No ballet slippers, none of those "easy comfort" shoes, that are soft but have no structure or side support.

I generally get running shoes as they have a wider heel and base, and strong side support. With my slip-in orthotics, I can choose any brand that has that structure. Since I wear out my sneakers in a few months, I don't bother with expensive brands anymore. They wear out just as quickly as cheaper shoes. It is the side support and new orthotics I pay for.

 

[Christine]

I'm flat footed. I never really was bothered by my flat feet until this January while doing something stupid. I know have posterior tibial tendonitis dysfunction and a possible collapsed arch.

I've been through a few brands of running shoes and the ones that work best for me are the Asics Gel-Kayano. They have the best arch support of all that I tried without having too rigid of a forefoot in the shoe. I've got them on now.

I just got my custom orthotics on Monday. I just pull out the Asics Gel-Kayano insert and put my custom in and it works great. The orthotics do not fit in my dress shoes. Soooooo....I ordered some high heeled Dansko shoes. I tell you, it is the ONLY shoe that my arch/inner ankle does not hurt with.

I've also been through a few pairs of orthotics fitted at the running store and some OTC orthotics sold to me by the doctor. They were just okay.

 

[NY Disney fan]

I'm flat footed. I never really was bothered by my flat feet until this January while doing something stupid. I know have posterior tibial tendonitis dysfunction and a possible collapsed arch.

Been there done that. It hurts like a son of a gun. Try not to walk barefoot if you can help it.

 

[Christine]

Been there done that. It hurts like a son of a gun. Try not to walk barefoot if you can help it.

Well, how did you "cure" it. This has been going on since January and I'm starting to get worried that it's permanent and I might be facing surgery. Not a day has gone by that I don't have pain in that area. I did 6 weeks of PT where it improved a lot, plateaued, and once out of PT, got worse. I just had an MRI done 2 days ago (no results yet) and am going to go back to PT. Plus, just got these new orthotics that seem to have helped right away.

 

[Imzadi]

The orthotics do not fit in my dress shoes. Soooooo....I ordered some high heeled Dansko shoes. I tell you, it is the ONLY shoe that my arch/inner ankle does not hurt with.

There are orthotics just for dress shoes. I don't know how well they work though.

Anybody have a good recommendation for orthotic sandals? Or sandals with great arch support? I haven't worn sandals in, I don't know how many years.

 

[Christine]

There are orthotics just for dress shoes. I don't know how well they work though.

Anybody have a good recommendation for orthotic sandals? Or sandals with great arch support? I haven't worn sandals in, I don't know how many years.

Yes, there are dress orthotics but they don't work overly well because the insole of a dress shoe (flat or heeled) is generally not removable. When you put the orthotic in your are sitting too "high" in your shoes and then the shoes don't fit right. It takes a major search to find a pair that will actually work with the dress orthotic.

As for orthotic sandals, ugly as they are, go to the Dansko site. Many of their shoes and sandals (not all) are recommended by the American Podiatric Association for arch support.

As for Crocs, I was also an avid Croc wearer at Disney but with my arch problem now, they just kill me. I guess it depends on your specific problem as I see some flat-footed people swear by Crocs (I did too) but not anymore. It's a shame because I really loved by Crocs Sueded Capri sandals. I've tried to wear them two times now and was in agony within 15 minutes.