Question for those with orthotics

darreneatschicken
darreneatschicken Posts: 669 Member
edited November 23 in Fitness and Exercise
What shoe do you wear your orthotics in? Do you only have one solid shoe you wear almost all the time, or do you guys switch it up everyday?

I just got prescribed orthotics for my leg length discrepancy and my feet pronation, and the chiropractor recommended that the best universal option would be to get running shoes.

However, he said that I can also buy proper weightlifting shoes if I so desired, they just wouldn't be ideal for everyday use.

The thing is that most running shoes are so ugly that I wouldn't want to wear them outside of the gym, so I asked my chiropractor if I could just wear them with the more fashionable shoes that I already have (e.g., boots, sneakers, and dress shoes).

He replied:

The orthotics can be worn in any shoe they fit in.

I suggest running shoes for physical activities such as exercise.

Replies

  • 30kgin2017
    30kgin2017 Posts: 228 Member
    The answer is really going to vary from person to person depending on why they have orthotics in the first place.

    Personally I only end up wearing my orthotics in my runners. When my foot is sore I wear my runners more and avoid barefeeet (Plantar fascias is my issue) I also wear shoes with arch support because wear I live its hot and my feet sweat a lot so I dont like closed in shoes which makes orthotics more impractical but during the worst of my foot issues I purchased shoes with better support for wearing to work while not being fully enclosed shoes.

    But boots, dress shoes for a bloke etc should be fine. Bear in mind that you may find you need to go up a shoe size to accommodate the orthotic.

    Its not that hard to swap them out between shoes although if you dont put shoes on until you arrive at your destination you may find that you've left without them. I mention this because I did that once, figured oh well I'll run anyway with one in and one out and hurt my hip due to the imbalance (I am thinking of your leg length discrepancy now) which left me in pain when exercising for nearly 4 months.

    My mum has a leg length discrepancy and basically wears one pair of shoes everywhere till its time to replace them. remember to take your orthotics shoe shopping with you. Hers are specialty shoes which are designed to accommodate orthotics, hers look pretty much like ordinary black enclosed shoes.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,208 Member
    edited January 2018
    Running shoes should only be worn for running. Almost all running shoes, and also dress shoes & boots, have a raised heel, which alters our natural walking gait, adding stress to the kinetic chain and worsening orthopedic issues. You can verify that with any kinesiologist or PT. Generally, the best all-around shoe has a "zero-drop" heel, like skateboard shoes, which is what i wear. I walk & lift in them, plus run short distances.

    By the way, unless your arch tendons are ruptured.. which is rare.. wearing orthotics to correct overpronation for non-running activities will weaken the arch muscles that prevent overpronation, creating a dependence on the orthotics. Again, you can verify that with a PT. Instead i'd focus on retraining yourself to consciously keep your arches up while walking, standing, etc. :+1:
  • Debbielynndesign
    Debbielynndesign Posts: 2 Member
    I agree with running shoes or walking shoes corrects the over pronation. I have had orthotics in my shoes for years with severe plantar fasciitis . I got it from a job once and I was skinny not over wt like they like to blame it on. I have had for 15 years. I will only buy the brand new balance now wide with for my orthotics to fit in and I take the inserts out. Depends on type of orthotics' to. I buy a high number new balance running or walking shoes like 1000 number or higher usually costing 100$ or more but so worth it. I would also suggest a really quality yoga class and instructor, not the "health club fitness yoga" or start off at a yoga studio and see if that helps to. I didn't like yoga at first but I found the right one for me and eased into it and not I don't need my orthotics much anymore but I use high quality shoes for everything now.
  • NightShadeMary
    NightShadeMary Posts: 16 Member
    I wear orthotics for low arches & bunions. 99% of the time, I'm either wearing sneakers or Birkenstocks. I do have a couple of other shoes that my orthotics fit in, but I rarely wear them. One issue with switching orthotics between shoes (if it's a full sole orthotic) is that it may not fit the shape of a different shoe. Mine are solid in the heel and arch with a 'trim to fit' ball and toe area. I can only move them between running shoes for the most part because they won't match the shape of others.
  • kenyonhaff
    kenyonhaff Posts: 1,377 Member
    Ideally you have orthodics for each pair if shoes.

    The idea is to have each orthodic fit correctly in each shoe and have a few good supportive shoes (never cheap) rather than a lot of flimsy footwear.

    In reality you may only be able to afford one set of orthodics or have to settle for swapping insoles occasionally.

  • lucerorojo
    lucerorojo Posts: 790 Member
    I had to wear an orthotic for a couple of years because of a broken sesimoid bone in my left foot. I was able to take it out and put it in each shoe I wanted to wear with no problem. The orthopedist said I would have to wear it for the rest of my life, but I didn't! One day I just felt like I didn't need it anymore and stopped wearing it. (That was over 20 years ago--I've never had a problem since).

  • darreneatschicken
    darreneatschicken Posts: 669 Member
    edited January 2018
    Cherimoose wrote: »
    Running shoes should only be worn for running. Almost all running shoes, and also dress shoes & boots, have a raised heel, which alters our natural walking gait, adding stress to the kinetic chain and worsening orthopedic issues. You can verify that with any kinesiologist or PT. Generally, the best all-around shoe has a "zero-drop" heel, like skateboard shoes, which is what i wear. I walk & lift in them, plus run short distances.

    By the way, unless your arch tendons are ruptured.. which is rare.. wearing orthotics to correct overpronation for non-running activities will weaken the arch muscles that prevent overpronation, creating a dependence on the orthotics. Again, you can verify that with a PT. Instead i'd focus on retraining yourself to consciously keep your arches up while walking, standing, etc. :+1:

    My chiropractor says the orthotics is supposed to correct my gait and support my squat. He says the orthotics can be worn with any shoe that fits, but that running shoes would be the most universal option.

    He told me not to think about my gait when I'm walking with them. I think the idea of the orthotics is to assist my body in walking correctly until it can do so without support.

    Anyways, the orthotics can get really uncomfortable sometimes. In my left leg, it constantly feels like theres a little bump pressing up against the right side of my heel.

    For everyday use, I am going to get a pair of those skateboard shoes/sneakers that you mentioned, because I think running shoes are ugly so I would never wear them.

    For squatting in the gym, I am going to get a sturdy pair of weightlifting shoes.

    Shoes that can fit my orthotics have the following characteristics:

    1. adequate height; not too shallow (in order to accommodate the heel raise and not have it feel like my shoe is going to pop off)

    - for this reason, my low-top Chuck Taylor's are deemed unusable now

    2. solid hold with zero flex; not flimsy and malleable

    - my chiropractor took my Chuck Taylor's and bent them, indicating poor support

    3. as straight as possible

    - my chiropractor told me to look at my Chuck's and notice how they curve a bit, putting the foot in an unnatural position

    4. size 7 (US)

    So yeah, I just have to shop for a suitable pair of sneakers and weightlifting shoes.

    I'll try to wear the sneakers as much as possible, but sometimes it's not always practical to do so (e.g., when it's ugly outside, or at a professional job).

    The weightlifting shoes will be worn in the gym. I did a quick google search and they look like they provide adequate height and support (plus, they look pretty cool):

    https://www.adidas.ca/en/mens-powerlift.3.1-shoes/BA8019.html
  • darreneatschicken
    darreneatschicken Posts: 669 Member
    edited January 2018
    Debbielynndesign wrote: »
    I agree with running shoes or walking shoes corrects the over pronation. I have had orthotics in my shoes for years with severe plantar fasciitis . I got it from a job once and I was skinny not over wt like they like to blame it on. I have had for 15 years. I will only buy the brand new balance now wide with for my orthotics to fit in and I take the inserts out. Depends on type of orthotics' to. I buy a high number new balance running or walking shoes like 1000 number or higher usually costing 100$ or more but so worth it. I would also suggest a really quality yoga class and instructor, not the "health club fitness yoga" or start off at a yoga studio and see if that helps to. I didn't like yoga at first but I found the right one for me and eased into it and not I don't need my orthotics much anymore but I use high quality shoes for everything now.

    Glad to hear that wearing your orthotics with running and walking shoes has helped you significantly, my brother actually recommended New Balance to me as well. It's a shame I can't get over how hideous they are... Maybe I should get a pair just to see what the hype is about. These are the coolest ones I saw online:

    https://www.newbalance.ca/en_ca/pd/813/MW813.html?dwvar_MW813_color=Black#color=Black

    https://www.newbalance.ca/en_ca/pd/1100/MD1100-L.html?dwvar_MD1100-L_color=Black#color=Black

    What is the difference between yoga and stretching I've always wondered? I stretch almost daily, and it helps a lot, but recently, my left leg has been hurting from squats.
  • darreneatschicken
    darreneatschicken Posts: 669 Member
    edited January 2018
    I went into Adidas today to try out some shoes.

    The person working there told me that putting my orthotics into weightlifting shoes would deny the whole point of them.

    He recommended that I get cross-training shoes, which are created for a mixture of running and weightlifting (according to him).

    They looked super ugly, but I tried them on anyways, and they didn't fit well with the orthotics (shoe was too shallow).

    The sales rep then suggested that I go to Nike, so I'm probably going to go there tomorrow and check out New Balance on the way as well.

    I need shoes that have enough depth for my feet and orthotics to fit comfortably in (like a high-top made with solid material).
  • darreneatschicken
    darreneatschicken Posts: 669 Member
    So I finally found the best shoes for orothotics: https://www.newbalance.com/pd/mens-new-balance-857v2/MX857-V2.html#color=White_with_Navy
  • darreneatschicken
    darreneatschicken Posts: 669 Member
    With winter coming up, is everyone going to wear their orthotics in their boots?
  • Maxxitt
    Maxxitt Posts: 1,281 Member
    I finally found some OTC orthotics that work for me - Protalus. My problem is severe pronation, which has actually gotten better over the last 18 months that I have been using the inserts. They are pricey but in the last year they have come out with several options for different kinds of shoes. I try to shop the sales/discounts. Yeah, I put them in the winter boots too :)
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