What Are The Best Arch Support Insoles For Flat Feet?

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When shopping for insoles, arch support is a must. However, with so many options available, buying arch support insoles for flat feet can be confusing. Should you buy soft foam insoles with lots of cushioning, or should you buy insoles that are firm and supportive? What about arch height? Should the insole height be lower to mimic the arch, higher to create an arch you don't have, or is it a personal preference? While the answers to all of these questions depend entirely on the needs of your feet, it is critical that you find the right size that fits and feels comfortable, and that the arch support insole is made of the right material. After all, insoles are designed to reduce pain and foot fatigue, not exacerbate them.

Here's everything you need to treat your flat feet right and take care of your foot health.

The Basics ---

About 30% of people worldwide have flat feet. Some are born with it, others develop it as they age, but they all experience foot pain and over-pronation.

To find the best arch support insoles for flat feet, you need to know what type of flat feet you have - rigid or flexible. If your feet are flat when you stand or sit, you have rigid flat feet and need low arch insoles. If your arches come out when you sit, you have flexible flat feet and need medium arch insoles.

Flat foot pain can be temporarily relieved by stretching, strengthening, and supporting the arches. But for long-term comfort, you need to add firm arch support insoles to your shoes and socks. Soft foam or gel products that don't provide arch support won't relieve your pain.

Content Table:

1. What You Need To Know

2. What Causes Flat Feet?

3. Are flat feet and high arches the same?

4. What injuries can be caused by flat feet?

5. How can I get relief from flatfoot pain?

6. Can foot arch drop be corrected?

7. Is arch support suitable for flat feet?

8. Where to Buy Arch Support Insoles

1. What you need to know

Foot arches help you move efficiently by allowing the middle part of your foot to flex like a bow. Foot arches add shock absorption and flexibility to your gait, and also improve your balance when standing or moving.

Even if your flat feet don't appear to have arches, they do, and properly supporting them can help prevent foot pain and injury. But what exactly is “proper support” for flat feet? Is it a gel or foam insole that's as flat as your foot? Is it an insole with a defined arch to “fix” your flat feet?

The short answer? Firm arch support for flat feet is better. Flat, flimsy gel or foam insoles won't provide your feet with the support they need to keep your joints out of trouble.

Now, let's explore the long answer.

2. What causes flat feet?

Flat feet, also known as flat feet, are caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Generally, genetic factors cause a person to have flat feet throughout their life, while environmental factors can lead to flat feet later in life. This is known as “acquired flat feet” or fallen arches. If you are experiencing fallen arches, it is best to see a medical professional to determine the cause.

Common causes of flat feet (both genetic and environmental) include

·Heredity: Genetically caused flat feet can occur during childhood when the arches of the feet are underdeveloped. We are all born with flat feet, but our arches form during childhood. If the muscles, bones and ligaments of the foot are underdeveloped, a stable arch cannot be formed. This is usually a result of genetic factors, as flat feet tend to run in families.

·Trauma: For example, dislocated bones in the foot or torn tendons, especially the posterior tibial tendon, which supports the arch, can lead to flat feet.

·Rheumatoid arthritis: inflammation of the joints can lead to flat feet.

·Obesity: as you gain weight, the pressure on the tendons in your feet increases, causing them to collapse.

·Pregnancy: Hormonal changes can cause the arch of the foot to flatten, as can weight gain during pregnancy.

·Diabetes: Diabetes affects the nerves in the feet, which can cause the tendons to weaken and collapse, resulting in flat feet.

·High blood pressure: Reduced blood supply to the tendons in the foot can alter their ability to support the arch.

·Aging: As we age, tendons stretch, causing them to collapse.

Not sure if you have flat feet? Find out if you have arch height with this quick and easy test.

3. Are flat feet and high arches the same?

You might think that having flat feet and having fallen arches is the same thing, but there's actually a big difference between the two. Flat feet are something that people are born with. Flat arches are a development in adulthood and are often the result of external factors.

A fallen arch can be caused by the following

·Injury: A dislocated bone or torn tendon can cause a foot arch to drop. An injury or loosening of the tendons that attach the leg muscles to the foot to form the arch can cause the arch to fall out. Injuries are common among people who play sports or engage in strenuous activities such as hiking or running.

·Diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis: Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory joint condition that can not only cause you incredible pain if it occurs in your feet. When the joints in your ankles and feet don't work properly, the arch muscles can relax, which can lead to a sunken arch. If you think you have this condition, see your doctor.

·Weight changes or pregnancy: Extra weight can put pressure on the tendons in the foot. The weight gain and hormonal changes that women experience during pregnancy can cause considerable changes to the arch of the foot, but usually only during the first pregnancy.

Symptoms associated with fallen arches include easy fatigue in the feet, foot pain, back pain, and swelling of the ankles. Sunken arches can also exacerbate existing knee pain and hip pain. Because sunken arches make it more laborious for the toes to walk, they can lead to corns and blisters.

4. What injuries can be caused by flat feet?

Whether you were born with flat feet or have a sunken arch due to an injury or other condition, both can cause many of the same injuries and problems, including foot fatigue, arch pain and other foot pain, ankle swelling, and excessive pronation.

While many of these flat foot problems and injuries can be easily resolved with the right arch support insoles, it's best to avoid them altogether, especially if foot pain would prevent you from performing daily activities or playing sports.

Flat feet can lead to

·Foot fatigue: when your feet feel tired, especially at the end of the day.

·Arch pain and other foot pain: Pain can occur throughout the foot or in individual areas.

· Typical affected areas are the inside of the ankle, the outside edge of the foot, heel pain (called plantar fasciitis) or pain in the arch of the foot itself.

·Swelling: on the inside of the ankle and discomfort in shoes.

·A change in the position of the foot on the ground: can cause pain in the calf, knee, thigh, hip and lower back.

·Hyper pronation, where the foot rolls inward excessively.

5. How can I get relief from flatfoot pain?

Strengthening and stretching exercises for the feet, lower legs and ankles can help relieve pain caused by low arch height. For long-term pain relief, add arch support insoles to your shoes and socks.

First, spend some time doing the following exercises:

Strengthening and stretching the foot

A weak “foot core” (the intrinsic muscles of the foot) can lead to instability and injury. We usually focus on the large extrinsic muscles that support the ankle and foot (these muscles produce most of the foot's movement), but there are 11 small intrinsic muscles located entirely in the ball of the foot. These muscles stabilize the foot at impact and at the start. They absorb loads and store energy in the mid-section. Most importantly, these muscles support the arch of the foot. Strengthening these muscles will better support the arch of the foot.

Here are two quick core foot exercises:

·Foot stomps: Start with the foot in a neutral position, flat on the floor. Then, arch your foot by contracting the “foot core” muscles to shorten your foot. Make sure your toes are flat on the floor. Begin by sitting down. Over time, try standing, then standing on one foot, and finally jumping.

·Heel raises: Stand in the middle of the room and place all toes firmly on the floor. Lift both heels up so that all the weight falls on the toes. Hold for two seconds, then repeat. Try two sets of 15 reps each.

Strengthening and stretching calves and ankles

Tight calves and Achilles tendons pull on the ankles, forcing the foot to roll outward or inward. This, in turn, can lead to arch collapse. Stretching the calf and Achilles tendon is very important to prevent arch collapse.

Here are two simple exercises to try:

·Achilles Tendon Stretch: Place the front of your foot on a step with your heel off the step. Relax your calf muscles and slowly move your heel off the edge of the step for 10 to 15 seconds. You should feel a stretch in your Achilles tendon.

·Calf Muscle Stretch: Stand with one foot about a foot in front of the other. Point the toes of your back foot toward the heel of your front foot and lean your body toward the wall. Straighten the back leg and bend the front leg, keeping both heels close to the floor. Hold for 10 to 15 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

Stretching and strengthening the arches and calves can help relieve the pain of flat feet in the short term. However, for long-term pain relief, you'll need to use flatfoot insoles to support your arches.

6. Can foot arch drop be corrected?

Since fallen arches are acquired, rather than innate like flat feet, there are a number of short- and long-term treatments for fallen arches.

Temporary relief of foot pain caused by fallen arches:

· Elevate your feet for at least 20 minutes a day

· Use ice packs to soothe swollen feet

· Stretching and massaging your feet

· See a physical therapist

· Take over-the-counter pain medication as need

There are other treatments you may want to consider if arch drop is a long-term problem:

· Weight loss (especially if age is a factor)

· Bone grafting or fusion (for people with arthritis)

· Tendon surgery

· Custom Orthotics - For some people with fallen arches, custom orthotics are the best option. Prices range from $300 to $800. You will need to see a podiatrist or orthodontist for well-made custom-moulded arch supports.

· Arch support insoles - Over-the-counter arch support insoles are much cheaper than custom insoles and work well if they provide adequate support. Look for a pair of insoles that provide solid arch support and conform to the contours of the arch. Most importantly, resist the temptation to buy cheap padded insoles at the drugstore and purchase better quality arch support insoles that provide proper support for your feet.

Always consult your doctor to determine the best course of treatment.

7. Is arch support suitable for flat feet?

People with flat feet need insoles that have a low or medium arch height and deep heel cup structural support. These insoles can be either over-the-counter arch supports or arch supports that are custom-made to fit your feet.

The low-cost, flimsy insoles you often see at the drugstore may save you money and keep your feet comfortable for a few days after you put on your new shoes, but eventually you'll find yourself back at square one trying to find relief for your flat feet. That's because an arch support with firm, durable support promotes healthy, vibrant feet.

To find the best insoles for flat feet, you first need to determine the type of flat feet - rigid or flexible. It is important to differentiate between rigid and flexible flat feet because the best flat foot insoles arch height for each arch is different.

· Rigid flat feet are flat when you are standing and also when the foot is not weight bearing. If you place your foot on the opposite knee and your foot still looks flat, you have a rigid flat foot. People with rigid flat feet usually choose arch supports with lower arch heights.

· Flexible flat feet are flat when standing, but will show an arch when not weight bearing. If the foot is placed on the opposite knee, the arch will appear and this is called flexible flat feet. People with flexible flat feet usually prefer a flat foot arch support with a moderate arch height.

People with low arches often wonder if they should wear high or extra high insoles to ‘fix’ their flat feet and make their arches higher. Flat feet cannot become high arches, nor do they need to become high arches. Start with a low or medium arch (depending on whether you have rigid or flexible flat feet). Shoes with too much arch support or too high of an insole may be uncomfortable and make you feel like you have a golf ball in your shoe.

The best arch support insoles for flat feet should have the following:

· Low but supportive arch - You need a low arch that provides strong support. An overly high arch can be painful. Too soft of an arch and your foot will be squeezed, which won't provide long-term relief. Insoles are not a panacea.

· Stabilise the heel - A deep heel cup helps to concentrate the fat pad underneath the heel bone. This helps prevent excessive pronation and increases shock absorption.

8. Where to Buy Arch Support Insoles

As you've already learned, buying thin or flimsy arch support insoles at the drugstore won't provide your flat feet with the support and relief they need to stay healthy and active. Instead, you should purchase insoles directly from FOOTWORK LAB or from a shop with customer service staff who can help you find the best arch support for your feet.

If you have flat feet, whether you want to add women's or men's insoles with arch support to your footwear, keep in mind that the style of shoes you wear can also make a huge difference. Shoes that don't offer support or can't add arch support orthotic insoles can leave your flat feet tired and sore at the end of the day. High heels, flip-flops, loafers and sandals can exacerbate the painful symptoms of flat feet.

The best way to treat flat feet is to determine your type of flat feet (hard or soft) and add flat foot insoles with the proper arch height to your footwear. Supporting your low arches with arch support insoles that are best suited for flat feet can work wonders for pain relief.

Shop the FOOTWORK LAB collection now to find the best insoles for you!