Anyone have flat feet?

Almiten
Almiten Posts: 14
in Fitness and Exercise
I swear I hate my feet they make my workouts tougher... I've been to a doc and got custom
Insoles but he said it would take time because my feet are so flat. For those with flat feet what shoes do you wear? Do you have cross trainers and running shoes? I've tried about 50 pairs of shoes thus far and some work
Temporarily and then I get the knee and shin pain.

Replies

  • sarah692
    sarah692 Posts: 136 Member
    I have flat feet. I don't wear any special shoes/insoles though, I just deal with it. I think the shoes I primarily wear are just plain walking shoes. I don't usually have any troubles with my feet unless I have to walk for long time, then it's all kinds of hell. lol
  • keeping_on
    keeping_on Posts: 20 Member
    My feet are practically pancakes. Brooks Trance (running shoe) helped make my C25K training bearable and are the most comfortable sneakers I've ever worn, besides. There are also foot/leg exercises that may improve your situation, and I strongly recommend giving them a solid attempt. A quick google will bring them up for you. Otherwise, I've typically worn whatever cross trainer was affordable for daily wear as I don't experience significant problems unless I'm doing serious cardio leg work or something that requires a lot of foot finesse. The thing about your shoes working temporarily, unless you mean you only feel fine for a couple of weeks, is this - all shoes wear down. You'll inevitably have to replace them after a certain amount of time. Sadly, if your arches are very poor and/or you are very active, you'll have to replace them sooner rather than later.
  • Blayzn10Tiffers
    Blayzn10Tiffers Posts: 181
    I swear I hate my feet they make my workouts tougher... I've been to a doc and got custom
    Insoles but he said it would take time because my feet are so flat. For those with flat feet what shoes do you wear? Do you have cross trainers and running shoes? I've tried about 50 pairs of shoes thus far and some work
    Temporarily and then I get the knee and shin pain.

    I have flat feet but love my Nike Air Max shoes. They may be kind of expensive but totally worth every penny!
  • kimdnewton
    kimdnewton Posts: 2
    I wear New Balance and get wide. And yes running shoes they have more support.
  • PixiePickle
    PixiePickle Posts: 68 Member
    I always have to find really narrow footwear (but because my feet are small I can usually get stuff from the kid's section, which usually makes them more petite as a whole!) & I wear arch support inserts. I still get shin splints at the moment when I run :sad:
  • PixiePickle
    PixiePickle Posts: 68 Member
    I swear I hate my feet they make my workouts tougher... I've been to a doc and got custom
    Insoles but he said it would take time because my feet are so flat. For those with flat feet what shoes do you wear? Do you have cross trainers and running shoes? I've tried about 50 pairs of shoes thus far and some work
    Temporarily and then I get the knee and shin pain.

    I have flat feet but love my Nike Air Max shoes. They may be kind of expensive but totally worth every penny!

    I agree, Nike Air max have been a favorite of mine for years :happy:
  • Blayzn10Tiffers
    Blayzn10Tiffers Posts: 181
    I swear I hate my feet they make my workouts tougher... I've been to a doc and got custom
    Insoles but he said it would take time because my feet are so flat. For those with flat feet what shoes do you wear? Do you have cross trainers and running shoes? I've tried about 50 pairs of shoes thus far and some work
    Temporarily and then I get the knee and shin pain.

    I have flat feet but love my Nike Air Max shoes. They may be kind of expensive but totally worth every penny!


    I agree, Nike Air max have been a favorite of mine for years :happy:

    and the newer they are the cuter they are :)
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
    ****raises hand

    Extreme flat feet with a very tiny percentage of an arch - Im almost completely flat to the floor.

    I have insertional achilles tendonitis

    I have small broken bone fragments in both heels

    Major calcaneal spurs

    Calcification of the right heel...

    YUP - Im a hurtin' puppy!

    Between my Podiatrist and my Physical Therapist who have been AWESOME in helping me to deal with the pain with appropriate exercise tips, I am about to go pick up some specialty inserts for my sneakers first.... then, my next paycheck, I plan on investing in some reasonable sneakers for my workouts... the hard part for me is that I wear size 12WW in womens... Ive got some pretty hard foot-measurements to fit in a shoe...

    Thankfully where I work we get a discount at a few specialty shoe/sneaker stores... so I plan on taking advantage of the discount
  • grimsin
    grimsin Posts: 78 Member
    honestly if you want to help your flat feet you need to quit wearing insoles and heel strike shoes. binding your foot up in a shoe like that especially with an insert make it impossible for your natural foot muscles to hold your bones and ligaments and whatnot together so your feet will flatten out over time, your support muscles just atrophy and cause your foot to be unstable. the same is true for unbinding your feet though, over time your arch support will tighten causing your arch to reappear. I collapsed the arches in my feet back in 1994 in basic training and had flat feet until a year ago when I switched out of the traditional heel strike shoes and went to birthday shoes. now I have some nice arches present and I allow my foot to do what evolution designed it for, to hold my weight and be the best shock absorber for the job. :) hope this helps

    .. I don't go completely barefoot usually, I wear vibrams
  • poedunk65
    poedunk65 Posts: 1,336 Member
    I buy extra wide shoes that have high arch supports..
  • 1546mel
    1546mel Posts: 191
    I have fallen arches due to a work accident years ago and bunions due to natural foot shape. Nothing works for me. I do try to run, but i have to limit it due to pain. No fun :(
  • CriosDubh
    CriosDubh Posts: 60 Member
    Also on the barefoot wagon... I switched to Vibrams for running, and it's helped me. However, they are not for people who are currently experiencing plantar fasciitis or Achilles tendon problems. I wear my Vibrams everywhere except church, but in the summer, I have a nice pair of tevas
  • Amber82479
    Amber82479 Posts: 629 Member
    Hi there, my feet are completely flat. I've been wearing custom orthotics pretty much all my life. There are two things that really helped me; The first is getting the orthotics that are the full size and actually REPLACE the lining in my shoes. They offer far more stability and comfort than the 3/4 length orthotic that you slip in over the lining in shoes. Second, I found Mizuno Wave Rider shoes. I haven't looked back. I just order the newest version of the shoe when I need new ones (they're on 15 now). I'm not sure where you live, but if you're in the Cleveland area, try going to Second Sole - they'll fit you for shoes to specifically address your needs. If not, maybe there is a similar type of store near you? Best of luck!
  • davonne512
    davonne512 Posts: 4 Member
    Nike Air Max are cute but don't work for me- after about 10 minutes the pain starts. After researching I tried Nike Lunarglide 3 and loved them so much I bought another pair. No pain at all now.
  • JonathonMars
    JonathonMars Posts: 358 Member
    I do. But honestly, I'm not sure how much it bothers me. I apparently have a pretty high pain tolerance. I'm not a person who is very tuned into their body.
  • IronPlayground
    IronPlayground Posts: 1,594 Member
    I have flat feet and got shin splints when I started running. I Googled best running shoes for flat feet and got several websites with suggestions. I ended up getting Asics Gel running shoes. That was a couple years ago and I haven't been bothered by shin splints. Now that could be a combination of the shoes and getting adjusted to running. So, the shoes may not have been the only difference, but they did help in the beginning.
  • Almiten
    Almiten Posts: 14
    I can't wear Nike's the arch is too high and I don't just have flat feet I have absolutely no arches at all do when I wear Nikes the pain starts automatically. As for not wearing insoles I'm not a young kid and this isn't my first rodeo.. I've been dealing with this problem my whole life do after years and years of being in pain with no insoles I consulted a podiatrist. He recommended the insoles because when I run sometimes I feel like my knee is going to give out. He explained because of how flat my feet and the impact of going up and down its putting a lot of strain ony knee therefore the insoles would provide support. When I ran track many moons ago I would run with no socks on and that would help with the pain.
  • SPNLuver83
    SPNLuver83 Posts: 2,050 Member
    My feet might as well be flat- very very low arch.

    Asics are good and not too much money, but I LOVE my Mizunos Wave Rider 8s. Best shoes I have ever bought. go to their website, http://www.mizuno.com. They have a really great self-test to determine what kind of shoe you need in general, and of course they match you up with their line as well.
  • MoonyRose
    MoonyRose Posts: 52
    I have flat feet, I have custom made orthotics which are kinda awesome for comforts sake.
    Vans, Converse and shoes from online websites with a wider option are awesome :)!
    Hope that helped.
  • monicalosesweight
    monicalosesweight Posts: 1,173 Member
    I gave up on running years ago. Ironically, most tennis shoes give me pain so I wear hiking shoes (not the boots - lower level walking hiking shoes). They use Vibram insoles and are by Merrill. The insoles that are built into most shoes are horrible. They are about the cheapest thing ever so I usually replace them with high end insoles. Trust me, if you remove the insole - look at it. It's basically just a flat piece of junk generally. That's where they go cheap in all shoes.

    I go to a store called The Walking Company which has one of those machines which you stand on and it tells you the type of insole which will work with your feet. I am partial to them because their insoles are really, really cushioned which helps with my heel pain. The key part is once you buy them you need to get shoes that will work with them (not too narrow - if the insole is moving around it's not doing it's job. My mom whose in her 70's uses their insoles in her golf shoes and her other shoes as well. Let's just say there was a point where I couldn't walk on my feet without shooting pains and the insoles made a huge difference for me.

    I've heard of the jogging barefoot and also with those specialty shoes. So far, everything I've heard has been pretty positive and they are saying it does make a big difference for running BUT you do need insoles for everyday living.

    By the way, in most places there are stores that cater to people looking for insoles that are higher end. We see some down here in Florida like Happy Feet and such. If you can't find those, just look up shoe shops and call around and ask if they have the machine that checks to see what insoles you need. I think there are only a few that make the specialty insoles so once you find the shop you can go in and stand on the plate to get checked. Don't be surprised if your insole easily costs 60 to 100 dollars for a pair. Mine are about half the cost of my hiking shoes and I replace them once I see they are falling apart and breaking down.
  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
    lol, when did I say it was wrong to go to a doctor. I think your trying to cause drama. don't take good honest advice and turn it bad cramernh. just because something works that you do not agree with don't be rude. do some reasearch, I have said nothing untrue. these problems can be CURED usually with a lifestyle change concerning footwear.

    http://www.americaspodiatrist.com/2010/11/can-barefoot-running-walking-fix-flat-feet/

    It was not being rude... it was being honest... your post basically stated she shouldnt be using the insoles that were recommended by her physician.... a very bad assumption on your part about me and also against the OP.

    Clearly the doctor the OP saw knows more about them, their current medical situation, etc....

    your right of course, the OP shouldn't try anything that might help outside of putting the same bandaid back on the problem. your an idiot

    No.. .Im not the idiot.

    The fact the OP consulted a Podiatrist is the smarter avenue to take.. Your "research" is counterproductive nor does it address the OP's previous or current medical history. To suggest anything that doesnt have the "MD" after your name in real life can cause more harm to someone.

    Me, the idiot? I think not.

    Cramenh, why are you making a mountain out of nothing? He didn't said anything wrong in the first thread. Leave the thread alone with your negativity please.

    Lets stop fighting and keep the thread for positive things here
  • paulstone1967
    paulstone1967 Posts: 2
    Iam a big guy with real flat feet, I tried getting different shoes from people advice and they may work for awhile but they would start to breakdown and i was buying shoes like crazy I have a cousin who has flat feet and is a large guy. He went and got arch supports I went about a week after he told me about how great he was feeling, it was free to get looked at and only cost a few hundred bucks.
    They were a bit uncomfortable and took a while to adjust to but i could till in the store walking around how much better i was feeling and they also really helped with a bad rolling problem I had. This has been over a year and doing great.
    I'm pretty sure the store was called Ideal Feet.
  • kornmaiden
    kornmaiden Posts: 109
    I wear New Balance and get wide. And yes running shoes they have more support.

    I have new balance as well and I wear thorlo insoles for extra support
  • run3263
    run3263 Posts: 1
    After years of orthotics and trying every shoe out there, I finally spoke with my podiatrist about other options. I had really bad flat feet and it caused me pain not only in my feet, but back and knees. I had the hyprocure surgery done on both feet last year and it is the best thing I have ever done.

    I can run again without pain, I even get to wear normal shoes and no orthotics.
  • preaser
    preaser Posts: 85 Member


    I go to a store called The Walking Company which has one of those machines which you stand on and it tells you the type of insole which will work with your feet. I am partial to them because their insoles are really, really cushioned which helps with my heel pain. The key part is once you buy them you need to get shoes that will work with them (not too narrow - if the insole is moving around it's not doing it's job. My mom whose in her 70's uses their insoles in her golf shoes and her other shoes as well. Let's just say there was a point where I couldn't walk on my feet without shooting pains and the insoles made a huge difference for me.

    THIS!

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