How Does Arch Support Help Flat Feet?

Arch Support for Flat Feet

More than 60 million Americans suffer from flat feet. With roughly 330 million people living in the U.S., that means 18% of them have flat feet. Many of them probably ask, "Do flat feet need arch support?" According to the Mayo Clinic, the answer is, "Yes." Arch supports can help not only alleviate the pain and discomfort associated with flat feet but also help stretch someone’s Achilles tendon, which might also help. Many who suffer from flat feet also have shortened Achilles tendons.

Flat Feet Support

The X-Brace uses its crossed form to give support right where it's needed most: the plantar fascia. The idea is to create enough pressure to keep the plantar fascia from stretching painfully while allowing proper circulation in the foot. This way, it keeps the device from creating painful ruts in the skin when used correctly.

Aside from the X-brace, there are insoles and other one-piece arch supports for flat feet available. These are of differing sizes so that people with all sizes of feet can choose what’s best for them. Their contoured support will help reduce your pain and swelling throughout the day. Feet are, after all, largest at the end of the day because of the weight bearing the feet must endure for an average of 4,000 to 6,000 steps a day.

Flat feet support products, like the 3/4-length arch supports, also help take care of plantar fasciitis and other painful conditions. The same holds true of the plantar fasciitis insoles, which come in four sizes for convenient heel support, shock absorption, and arch support for fallen arches.

More From the Experts

It’s not just the Mayo Clinic that answers the question, "Does arch support help flat feet?" with a resounding, "Yes." The National Library of Medicine is replete with studies, including a study on how arch support insoles help people with flat feet which shows the beneficial effects of arch supports for flat feet.

In the named study, 16 college students were observed walking both uphill and downhill. Not only did the subjects report less pain with the arch supports, but their bodies also used less oxygen to complete the tasks. This use of less oxygen meant that the incidence of muscle fatigue and/or failure was also much reduced. The conclusion was that arch support for flat feet was highly beneficial to people with flat feet who used the supports.

What Is the Best Arch Support for Flat Feet?

The best items that give support for flat feet are custom-made. Unfortunately, custom orthotics can cost hundreds of dollars. Finely made regular orthotics are far less expensive and, for the vast majority of folks, will work just fine.

The best support for you is one that fits both your shoe and the shape of your foot and provides the right kind of flat foot arch support to give you the pain relief benefits you need.