The Best Walking Shoes for Flat Feet in 2020

This article is a review of the best walking shoes for flat feet for men and women.

You probably already know that you have flat feet and understand the many benefits you can get by having the best walking shoe to help reduce pain and hopefully prevent problems that flat feet might cause.

So we'll get straight to the reviews. Use the navigation tables which show the shoes reviewed. Then use the ‘jump to' links in the tables to go straight to the shoe that interests you.

If you are here hoping to better understand if you have flat feet or why you have them or find out what problems flat feet can give rise to, I have that information covered after the reviews. Or you can skip straight down there with the orange button below.

Links Disclosure: Some links on this page go to affiliate partners where, without cost to you, we may receive a small commission should you make a purchase.

The table below gives a quick view of the shoes covered for men and women. Use the jump links in the table as well as in the reviews to jump up and down the page quickly and easily. Blue links are for men, pink for women.

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1. Merrell MOAB 2 Waterproof Trail Walker

Overview

For those who do their walking outside on uneven and variable surfaces, the Merrell MOAB 2 Waterproof Trail Walking Shoe should be a good fit even if you have flat feet.

The shoe comes in medium and wide widths so your toes should be able to spread out under the suede leather and mesh upper.

There is a protective rubber toe cap to help against banging your toes on rocks and the contoured footbed is zoned to give targeted arch and heel support. That should help keep, at least some, overpronation in check.

An EVA midsole provides shock absorption and contributes to cushioning yet adds little weight.

Air cushioning in the heel dampens pressure from the heel strike and loading from your weight.

Waterproofing is via Merrell’s proprietary system called M Select Dry which allows the mesh upper to breathe somewhat.

The insoles are removable in case you want to swap them out.

The shoe last is not exactly square but should be roomy enough for you to spread your toes a little as you push off your stride.

A good lacing system too!

Merrell MOAB 2 Waterproof – Features of Interest

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2. Hoka One One Gaviota Athletic Walker

Overview

If climbing up mountain passes is not your thing and you spend more time walking for exercise on flatter ground, then the Hoka One One Gaviota is a great choice that might suit you.

Hoka One One is a company that makes plush, cushioned athletic shoes for comfort and relief if you need a shoe for flat feet and plantar fasciitis. But even if your plantar fascia is fine, thank you very much, your feet will still be thanking you for the cushioning.

But the Gaviota is not the most cushioned shoe made by Hoka, that prestige goes to the Bondi 6, but it is still much more cushioned than you are likely to be used to.

The reason for choosing the Gaviota over the Bondi 6, is the additional support and stability control the Gaviota shoe offers to help counter any excessive pronation issues that you might have.

That said, the cushioning system employed in the Gaviota is most excellent for flat feet precisely because it is not overly plush and soft. This gives more stability between the sole and the footbed as your foot is not wobbling about on the cushioning.

The shoe is built on a J-Frame sole that guides the forces your weight places on your foot away from the inside of the shoe.

The support for your arch by the insoles also help distribute pressure across the shoe.

The shoe last is flat-waisted which will give a little extra width to your midfoot which spreads out as your arch collapses. The toe area is plenty spacious as well.

The Hoka Gaviota is well recommended as one of the best walking shoes for flat feet if you enjoy vigorous walking exercise.

Available in Medium and Wide Fittings.

Hoka One One Gaviota – Features of Interest

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3. Brooks Addiction Walker

Overview

The Brooks Addiction Walker is a fantastic shoe for people who suffer from overpronation and with their roomy styling the perfect shoe for guys with flat feet.

This restrained athletic style casual shoe has been around for eons with a design is brilliantly flexible. Unless you're working in a really formal environment you can wear the shoes to work, you could wear them in a hospital, you can wear them to go shopping in, or you can wear them for your regular walking exercise.

I've not yet tried wearing them in bed though!

They're as at home during the day as they are nipping down to the bar at night to check out what's ‘appening.

Available in a very wide range of fittings from narrow through to extra wide and in both a Velcro strap and lace up version.

Why is this walking sneaker perfect for flat feet?

It made for people with low arches and flat feet and provides targeted support and cushioning accordingly. But is equally suited for normally arched wearers as well.

How is that? Well overpronation control via reinforcement to the midsole doesn't kick in unless you need to use it. Like a reinforced concrete beam, it's perfectly happy to sit there with nothing on top. But if you load it up it won't crack under pressure.

Excellent cushioning comes via its BioMoGo midsole which makes the Brooks light and comfortable so you can get addicted to walking.

It's a shoe specifically made for walkers although it comes up slightly heavier than some of the other lightweight shoes.

Personally, I find that I'd rather have a more substantial shoe than something that feels close to socks on my feet. What about you?

Excellent cushioning from the midsole is further enhanced by the insole which provides great support for weak arches.

The Progressive Diagonal Roll Bar System is excellent at keeping the shoe stable and your gait in better alignment and helps counter any excessive inside rolling of your foot.

The shoe runs pretty much true to size and has an amply sized toe box, ticking all the boxes that you need as a flat-footed walker.

Somewhat limited color choices of Brown, black or white but they all look good.

The leather upper and cushioning to the heel area is also quite luxurious which makes this our top pick as a sneaker for flat feet and great if you are on your feet all day long.

Surely one of the best walking shoes for flat feet and overpronation available today.

Brooks Addiction Walker – Features of Interest

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4. Rockport Randle Ubal Sneaker 

Overview

The Rockport Randall Ubal Sneaker for men is one good looking shoe.

The selection of walking sneakers for flat feet is a little limited with so many shoes unavailable in wider widths that men with flat feet often require.

This Rockport is a cool looking shoe for casual wear, evenings out and most semi-formal environments and I like the look of it a lot!

The uppers are smooth leather, available in a brown, light tan or charcoal color with a full set of size options and medium or wide fittings for width.

Cushioning is provided via the lightweight memory foam footbed which somewhat adjusts to your foot's shape.

The sturdy and slightly athletic styling is casual but still built for comfort. It has a semi-waterproof construction, good quality moisture-wicking linings, and a fairly square shoe last shape.

Although the shoes are already comfortable out of the box, the insole is removable if you want to add your own cushioning or upgraded arch support.

The Rockport Randle Ubals are neutrally supportive, which means that there are only minor provisions for pronation control within the mid and outsoles.

My suggestion is to order a shoe is slightly wider as the last is a little narrow for some.

Medium and wide width fittings available for this good-looking men’s sneaker.

Rockport Randal Ubal – Features of Interest

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5. Propet Wash N Wear Slip-On II Loafer

Overview

Propet is an up-and-coming manufacturer of shoes designed for good styling and better fit and catering for people with common foot problems.

Available in medium and wide fittings with a fairly square shoe last and toe box that fits the shape of your foot quite well.

This machine washable shoe looks good and the slip-on style means you can pop them on for out and about errands. The elastic neoprene collar makes for the shoe to accommodate a flexible range of foot sizes.

The shoe does run a little short so you are recommended to size up at least half to one size longer than normal. Compared to normal shoes the heel may feel a little narrower and the forefoot a little wider than most other brands.

The heel of the shoe has heel counter and the pull tab to help save the heel from getting squashed down as you put them on. I do suggest using a shoe horn for slip-ons as it will greatly assist you in ensuring your shoes keep a better shape.

The style is adaptable to many use types from work to casual to evenings out but it's plainly a shoe for casual wear rather than extensive walking exercise.

The footbed is removable so you'll be able to fit your own custom orthotics. The midsole which is made from lightweight foam type material does have some arch support built in.

You may need to experiment with sizing to get the best fit, but Amazon's return policy, generally, makes this fairly easy.

Propet Wash N Wear – Features of Interest

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6. Orthofeet Gramercy

Overview

If you have foot pain from flat feet already then give the formal Orthofeet shoes a try for general walking duties.

Orthofeet make excellent roomy shoes, specifically designed for various foot problems including flat feet.

There's plenty of room in the toe box, an excellent cushioning midsole and quality orthotic insole that provides good arch support. Together, these features ease pressure on the sole of your foot and toe area.

The shoe comes with an adjustable fit courtesy of removable spacers which you can add to adjust the inside space of the shoe in case they are too wide.

The anatomical designed orthotic insole is excellent already but removable should you wish to insert your own proprietary insoles.

The supplied insoles are already 6 mm thick which is slightly thicker than most other brands with the exception of Saucony. This means that added insoles will not end up making the shoes feel too tight.

The more formal design means that you can wear the shoe all day long around town and it is also well-suited as a dress shoe for wearing in any formal office environment.

The shoe is a really good men's walking shoe for flat feet.

Orthofeet Gramercy – Features of Interest

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7. Nunn Bush Cameron Slip On Casual

Overview

If it's a classic style you're after then the Nunn Bush slip-on provides a fine solution for your flat feet.

With a soft touch leather upper that has padded cushioning to the heel and instep, you have flexibility for wearing in a casual or formal environment.

The rubber sole and lightweight memory foam footbed coupled with a Gel insert to the heel gives you excellent cushioning, comfort and shock absorbency. Removable footbeds for extra supportive cushioned insoles if required make this a no-brainer.

Available in medium, wide and extra wide with fittings you can be sure to get the perfect fit from this premier shoe brand.

The Cameron's sole profile provide some extra stability through your walk which makes this one of the best walking shoes for flat feet in the classic dress style for men.

Nunn Bush Cameron – Features of Interest

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8. Cole Haan Zerogrande Wing Oxford

Overview

A whole range of colors and design variations available in the Cole Haan Zerogrande range of Oxfords that simply oozes style and sophistication.

The words ‘style and sophistication' do not often come to mind when you are talking about shoes for flat-footed men, but these shoes fit the bill perfectly.

If you're looking for the best walking shoes for flat feet that have designer styling then you really should take a closer look at these babies.

Coming with leather or suede uppers depending on style, and a definitive sole to really mark you apart in any environment.

These are not shoes for your regular walking exercise, walking the trails or similar but rather for walking shoes meant walking in style, in the casino, in the boardroom or dining at the quay. But they are not plain walking shoes by any stretch of the imagination.

With medium and wide fittings available in a range of sizes and half sizes you should be able to find a good fit for your flat feet.

Zerogrande technology provides the ultimate comfort for your feet and the shoe is relatively water resistant with a storm welt.

The shoe is both lightweight thanks to its foam midsole and rubber outsole. It is breathable too!

The perforations which are detailed using lasers were interestingly once used to enable water to drain for workers in the bogs of Scotland and Ireland. Time has moved on and may have better footwear now but the detailing has become classic.

Naturally, the perforations in the Cole Haan Wingtip Oxford are not there to drain water but rather to provide the ultimate in style and sophistication.

In my opinion, this is THE best dress walking shoe for men with flat feet.

Beautiful!

Cole Haan Zerogrande Wing Oxford – Features of Interest

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9. Skechers Relaxed Fit Sure Track Trickel Work Shoe

I have no idea why they call this a work shoe since it is really a super comfortable pair of trainers, as they call them in the UK, with restrained styling.

Okay they only come in black, but black is the new orange, and who doesn't like bright sunny colors, right? If you haven't seen the show then forgive me for the pun!

The shoe has got some great slip-resistant soles but that's not really the main point if you have flat feet. The sole is also rated for electrical hazard safety but there again if you're anything like most of my flat-footed readers I don't expect you'll be putting your fingers in fuse boxes and sockets to test that out!

What you really want to know is does the shoe have ample space in the toe box, good cushioning to protect the sole of your foot and your plantar fascia and is it wide enough.

When you be pleased to know that Skechers make this excellent multipurpose shoe in medium and extra-wide fittings and half sizes lengthwise. So you'll be covered width wise.

There's small perforations to the shoe so your feet don't suffocate, and the memory foam insoles are well cushioned to cuddle your plantar fascia.

Arch support is good if you have slightly weak arches but if you want extra support then you'll need custom insoles which you can simply swap for those that come with the shoe. The roomier fit of the shoe generally will happily accommodate the slightly thicker custom insoles

When I was researching this shoe I noticed many people who work on their feet all day and others who are standing around for 8 to 10 hours per shift found this shoe very comfortable.

The shoe has a 1 inch heel which adds to stability but there is no special rollbar or medial support if you have serious overpronation. If that's the case I suggest you pick up a shoe specifically designed to correct overpronation.

The outsole is rubber and marketed as FlexSole which has a gripping pattern on the underside was providing excellent shock absorbing qualities when combined with the midsole.

The whole shoe is reasonably lightweight construction so you won't feel like you're feet are doing any heavy lifting.

Skechers Sure Track Trickel – Features of Interest

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10. Propet Stability Sneaker X

Propet have been around since 1985 making shoes for people with hard to fit feet.

They work in collaboration with podiatric advisers to bring a whole range of shoes to alleviate various foot issues and encourage a natural gait.

The Propet Women’s Stability Walker Sneaker is a comfortable shoe with a very neat looking mesh upper with extra padding around the collar and tongue to avoid issues with the lacing area.

If you like the mesh knit look like me, then you will probably like the look of these well-designed sneakers.

The shoes are mid-range price and provide a pretty good fit and light weight walking shoe for the price.

The ubiquitous foam midsole works really well with some excellent insoles to provide good support to your foot arches and thereby assist with any overpronation issues your flat feet may be causing.

There's a gel heel pad for impact shock absorbency and the shoe is generally well cushioned to provide a comfortable base to plod around on.

These shoes do not have quite the same high-level technology that some of the bigger brands employ and there is no specific flex control in the sole. The stability comes from the high-quality insoles provided with the shoes.

The insoles also removable so if you want up the cushioning level or increase the support then you can do that easily and there is plenty of room in the shoe to accommodate custom orthotics.

On the whole this shoe is good for moderate overpronation and flat feet and provides a comfortable experience at a reasonable price level.

Propet Stability Sneaker – Features of Interest

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11. Skechers Go Joy Walking Shoe

Sorry to recommend yet another pair of Skechers but these are my favorite walking shoes for about the house and about town.

If I'm off to an afternoon barbecue in the spring and summer around here then these are my go to shoes.

They are super lightweight and come in a range of styles and colours in the range. My favorite is the knit looking version which I show here.

It is a shoe that puts a spring in your step which comes from the foam midsole and excellent insole which is as comfortable as it is responsive.

If you getting these then you should order your regular size as they are sized just right.

That is great because if you need custom orthotics there's plenty of room to fit them, but you should try out try the ones supplied first as they really are good!

The shoe does not have lots of technology and fancy names for bits of harder plastic, air pockets or plastic gel pouches. It is just a really comfortable and lightweight shoe that does a fantastic job at a great price!

Great arch support, great cushioning, great comfort, great shoe!

I love Skechers!

Skechers Go Joy – Features of Interest

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12. New Balance 928v3 Walking Shoe

New Balance has an excellent product with their 928v3 walking shoe.

They may not have the widest range of colors but this is an excellent shoe if you are a serious overpronator with flat feet.

Motion control comes by means of a rollbar provided between the heel and the midfoot section of the shoe which makes it more difficult for the shoe to roll inwards from your overpronation.

The excellent rubber outsole provides plenty of traction and works with the foamy midsole to provide a very high level of shock absorption and help the cushioning which comes from the insoles.

Lots of foam around the ankle and Achilles heel and also to the tongue and lacing area for a wonderfully comfy walk.

The shoe features walking strike path technology which aims to keep your feet in the best alignment possible through your stride.

It is also one of the best shoes for you if you have Plantar Fasciitis because the insoles and midsole provides really plush cushioning to stop your plantar fascia batting against the underside the bones in your foot.

The New Balance 928v3 have a good lace-up system which allows you to adjust for fit or you can go for the hook and loop version.

I must confess that I don't get on very well with Velcro. I find after a while it becomes simply unsticky, but it may be just me!

There's a couple of different versions, a smart leather upper version which comes up a little tighter than the suede and mesh version when I tried them in the shop.

Talking about the suede and mesh version, I think it looks the better of the two gives a more sporty feel to the shoe. I prefer that to the more restrained and professional look of the mostly leather upper but then I don't work in an office exactly.

As with most of the shoes I'm reviewing here, the insoles are removable in case you need additional support. It would be hard to believe that you want to remove them for additional cushioning in this particular case as they are comfy already.

I also like the slightly beveled heel at the back of the shoe which makes a better landing to your heel and less shock your leg generally. It's something I look out for having been a sufferer of knee pain some years ago.

I think this is the best walking shoe for flat feet and overpronation if you are an exercise walker and they are great for general all day wear as well.

New Balance 928v3 – Features of Interest

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13. Saucony Omni Grid Walking Shoe

Well, there's not much choice to be had from the Saucony Omni Grid Walking Shoe for Women from the point of view of color.

Slightly more than the only black versions of the first Ford car, with the addition of white as an option – whoopee!!

It feels like this shoe is been around about as long as the first Ford as well!

At least that's a good sign because the model has been a bestseller for longer than I care to remember. I would have thought they would’ve come out with a few extra colors to build on the design and popularity of the model. But hey what can you do!

Saucony is an excellent brand amongst the mainstream shoemakers. They make a good range of wide width shoes that are sometimes hard to find among the other brands.

This model is available in narrow, medium and wide width fittings, though if you have flat feet I doubt you be opting for the narrow version.

The shoe is designed to counter moderate pronation through its stability features within the soul and insole. It is designed to be a full on walking shoe for exercise walking. It's also excellent as an all-day wear shoe for work.

There is less cushioning in the shoe than the new balance 928v3, but cushioning is still good. If anything is slightly lower level of cushioning helps counteract overpronation because there is less sponge in the shoe to allow the foot to rotate.

The shoe is made from good full grain leather uppers and the usual foam midsole with good supportive insoles for a comfortable ride. There is plenty of room in the toe box to allow your feet to spread out and a fairly square shoe last gives the rest of your foot room to spread.

This is another great shoe for moderate to severe overpronators offering a high level of stability but just loses out to the New Balance because of the extra motion control features in the sole and overall comfort level of the 928v3 in comparison.

Of course it is about half the price of the 928v3 as I speak so you pay your money and take your choice I guess.

I'd choose the 928v3 to be honest though!

Saucony Omni Grid – Features of Interest

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14. Clarks Cheyn Madi Loafers

If you're flat-footed, finding a comfortable dress shoe that you can wear all day is no piece of cake.

Clarks have a long established reputation for producing good quality, reasonably priced and good fitting, comfortable shoes.

The Cheyn Madi is a masterpiece of design culminating in a shoe that could be worn to just about any formal or casual occasion.

Soft full grain leather uppers with a restrained design that hides the elastic gore to these slip-on shoes. They slip on and off with ease allowing your foot to sink into a wonderful Ortholight footbed that provides just the right balance of cushioning and support.

They look professional and they are built professionally with high quality materials that wear well even if you are standing all day at the office and putting in 10 to 12 hour shifts.

Easy to clean full grain leather, that's leather that hasn't been buffed and polished and so retains it's more natural soft feeling, will have you loving the shoes.

If you want to look professional, classy and sassy without scrunching your toes up and ruining your feet in high heels then these are just the ticket.

Fit is fairly true to size and they are available in wide widths and quite a few different styles for you to choose from.

The Cheyn Madi is often touted as one of the most comfortable women's shoes for flat feet and all day wear and the only argument you may have with me is that I have them classified as dress shoes.

Clarks Cheyn Madi – Features of Interest

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15. Propet Wash N Wear Slip-On

What makes the best shoe, the best shoe?

Of course, the best shoe depends upon how you define it. For me I want a shoe that is comfortable, easy to wear, adaptable, takes care of my feet and is easy to care for.

The Propet Wash N Wear II Walking Shoe ticks all those boxes for me and is super easy to care for if it gets dirty.

If you're out of day shopping, and I tend to do my shopping all at once so that's quite often me, then I want a shoe that I can throw on and walk about without worrying about it all day long.

If it rains and they get wet I don't care. If I walk across a muddy grass I don't care. I can just throw them in the washing machine, leave them out to dry for a day and put the insoles back in and I'm good to go again.

These shoes are made with a good shaped last that suits flat feet and have ample toe box and good cushioning from the removable footbed.

The sole is slip resistant but otherwise, the shoe is not particularly gait improving, so if you are a severe overpronator they may not be the perfect fit for you.

Other than that what more can you ask for from a shoe that gives you absolutely no trouble!

Best Formal Slip-On Walking Shoe for Flat Feet for Women

Propet Wash N Wear – Features of Interest

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16. Cole Haan Zerogrande Oxford

They say love is a many splendored thing, but why settle for one love when you can have two?

You can call me a floozy if you like but I love this pair of shoes which are as smooth and classy as Nat King Cole's voice.

The style is adorable, the fit is great, and you'll be in love with the cushioning from the foam midsole and excellent insole.

The beautiful upper looks so classy and so comfortable & it really does fit your foot rather well. Cole Haan have added a little stability to the shoe as well thanks to technology that you normally only find in athletic shoes.

A fully padded sock lining ups the comfort level and gives you a shoe that is unbelievably lightweight and frankly just beautiful!

The only downside to this shoe is that once you've bought one pair, you'll be itching to buy more – they really are that good.

Get the builders in for a new shoe cupboard a la Carrie Bradshaw!

Available in normal and wide fitting to suit flat feet.

Beautiful and perfect – almost!

Cole Haan Zerogrande – Features of Interest

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What are Flat Feet?

The human foot has 26 bones, joined together with 33 joints and more than a hundred muscles, tendons and ligaments to hold the whole thing together.

These muscles, tendons, and ligaments connect between the heel bone and the toe joints pulling together to form your foot arch. This arch acts as a sort of flat spring.

Injury, age, arthritis, lack of strength in the tendons and ligaments as well as excessive weight, can all contribute to reducing the efficiency of your foot arch and lead to it flattening.

The Gait Cycle

It helps to understand the basic mechanism of the gait cycle first as background knowledge to the subject of flat feet.

In the first stage of the gait cycle called the heel strike, your body weight is taken up by the heel as your weight shifts onto the grounded foot from the other foot.

In the next stage, the foot arch receives weight from your heel as you move forwards through your stride. The ligaments and tendons in your foot stretch, spreading the forces more evenly through your foot as your weight is transferred. This is essentially a shock absorbing action that your arch provides you.

Then as you move yet further through your stride, your weight is passed from the midfoot to the forefoot and toes, ready to eventually push off and propel you forward.

Examining the gait a little more we see that as the foot arch spring takes your weight, it flattens and in so doing rotates the foot towards its inside edge. The ankle also rotates inwards. This rotation of ankle and foot is called pronation and happens to everyone.

Then, as your weight is transferred off from the arch to the toes, your foot rotates in the opposite direction along with ankle. This is called supination and again happens with almost everyone to some extent.

Flat feet refers to the shape of the feet with this condition compared to a more normal foot. If the muscles, tendons, and ligaments stretch then the arch flattens more than a normal arch does and creates an excessive rotation of the foot and ankle inwards which is called overpronation.

From the overpronated alignment of the foot, it is difficult for it to recover during the counter supinating rotation phase. This leaves your weight too much on the inside and stressing the big toe.

It follows that most flat footed people are also overpronators.

What are the Effects of Flat Feet?

The problem with flat feet is not just with the foot rotating more than normal and weight being shifted more than usual onto the inside part of the foot and ball of your foot behind the big toe.

Complications arise in other parts of the foot and beyond.

Firstly there is the issue that the over-flattening of the foot results in the tendon under the foot compressing against the bone and potentially becoming inflamed. The tendon is called the plantar fascia and inflammation of that tendon is called plantar fasciitis though flat feet are not the only cause.

Increased pressure on the large pad of your foot behind the big toe can cause bruising of that area and resulting pain. This increased pressure comes from the foot being unable to level itself quickly enough in the mid-stride to push off phase transition.

Over rotation of the ankle can cause ankle pain too as greater effort is made by various muscles to counteract the rotation and avoid turning the ankle.

The abnormal alignment of the ankle also affects the leg bones and muscles that can cause shin splints, pain in the knees, hips, back and so on.

Every person is unique, and the set up of our joints, bones muscles and tendons is not identical. Some can handle the misaligned gait better than others.

And so some people with flat feet never experience any pain, and others will experience a lot of pain. Some will have flat feet from their hereditary make up from an early age and others will develop it because of disease, trauma or because they grow too heavy for the component parts of their feet to handle.

Yet others will experience the problem through changes in their bones and muscles through arthritis or overworking them.

There is a myriad of reasons why flat feet come about and the level of pain or damage to other parts of the body that result.

What Should You Do About Flat Feet?

As I mentioned, some people will never experience pain from flat feet but it makes sense to take precautions and not leave the problem to the ravages of time. You may already have some pain or be feeling the twinges in your knees or hips. Or you may have been to a doctor who has examined you and explained that you have flat feet and to find shoes to help offset potential problems and reduce pain.

There are a few obvious factors that a shoe can do to somewhat counter the effects of your arches collapsing. This is done by reducing the amount the shoe can twist torsionally by the use of rigid inserts, usually in the midsole to counter twist. A wider sole can also help.

These shoes are called stability shoes or motion control shoes. The addition of an anti-torsion device in the sole makes the base of the shoe more rigid which can be more or less rigid depending on design. Motion control shoes are more rigid than stability shoes.

Another thing a shoe can achieve is to cushion the underside of your foot so that there is less force pushing the plantar fascia against the bones sitting above it. So well-cushioned shoes will help a good deal too.

Support to the arch can be provided by the shoe to stop its complete collapse and allow the foot to stay better aligned. This reduces the rotation inwards and allows the foot to recover and properly distribute pressure into the forefoot. In so doing the pressure on the big toe area is reduced along with the risk of developing bunions.

As shoes are made to fit a wide range of foot shapes and gait types, sometimes the support provided with the shoe does not suit you. The support can be too high or too low, too firm or soft or located too near the heel or too far forward. This can also affect cushioning as well since the insole contributes a lot to comfort and shock absorbance as well as support.

For this reason, it is a good idea to have shoes that have removable insoles that can be swapped out for a different design. As supplied insoles tend to be quite thin in many shoes, 3 – 5mm is common, yet shop bought orthotic replacements are quite thick maybe 8 – 10mm, this is another reason to make sure the shoe is slightly looser to provide space for the extra thickness.

One last point about flat feet is common sense really and is that flat feet tend to be wider than normally arched feet because as the arch drops to the floor, the foot spreads out as do the toes to balance the body. And so a shoe for flat feet will normally need to be a little wider in the shoe last than usual.

Look for these features in the best walking shoes for flat feet:

• Stability control in the sole and a wider sole is a bonus
• Good cushioning to protect the Plantar Fascia
• Support to the arch of the foot to stop the foot turning too much mid stride
• A generally slightly wider last for a better fit and to allow the toes to spread naturally.
• Removable insoles.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Flat Feet Cause Knee Pain?

Flat feet can cause knee pain and it is a common side effect. Not everyone will get knee pain though as it depends on the whole set up of your leg, bones, ligaments, tendons, and particular gait.

The reason flat feet can cause knee pain is that when you are in the middle of your stride your weight is taken mostly by the middle of your foot and arch. As the arch collapses (which it is designed to do), the foot twists inwards with the ankle rotating too. If the rotation is too much then the foot is misaligned – and typically flat feet cause too much inward twist.

With the foot misaligned your brain signals the rest of the parts of your feet and legs to compensate which includes the leg muscles. In compensating these ‘other parts' of your leg and foot are out of alignment and that includes the knees.

And so you may eventually end up with knee pain depending on how your body compensates and how strong the ‘other parts' are to be able to cope.

That is an individual matter of physiology which is why not everyone suffers the symptom.

How Can Flat Feet Be Cured?

Flat feet can't be cured effectively but there are exercises you can do to strengthen the Plantar Fascia and other tendons in your feet which can slow any further flattening.

Overweight is linked with flat feet because of the increased weight and, as a result, pressures the soles of your feet have to cope with. So losing weight can be another good way to slow or stop your arches flattening too much.

Whilst shoe technology can't reverse flat footedness, it can help support the arch to prevent too much rotation through your stride and also cushion the sole from sudden pressures and distribute those pressures more evenly.

There is some debate on the benefits because wearing supports will eventually weaken the component parts that are causing the flat-footedness. That viewpoint does not consider the damage being caused to the other parts of your legs and feet that have to compensate and deal with the extra pressures the flat-footedness causes. these can be significant.

For this reason, WooWalkers suggest that it is best to stop the problem causing an avalanche of issues and instead do exercises to strengthen the Plantar Fascia, Achilles and other tendons to encourage better arch operation. In other words, these stretching exercises will keep the tendons and ligaments in good condition and prevent their further weakening.

Your podiatrist should advise you on the best exercises for your particular foot physiology.

Sources: Diagnosis & Treatment of Flat Feet

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Shoes to Help Overpronation

Shoes for Concrete Floors

Footwear for Long Distance Walking

Shoes for Overweight Men

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