Flat feet?

[Happypappy]

Okay, I have a question. I am getting custom orthotics made soon, and I was wondering if anyone here is flatfooted like I am. I have been using generic insoles to this point, but my feet are worse, and I need custom orthotics made. Now for my big question, by other's experience, am I going to have to invest in new boots? Right now, my finances are really tight, and the doc thinks I should look into ( perhaps ) custom made boots. What kind of cash layout am I looking at? Any advice would be gratefully appreciated.

Happypappy

[art to linda]

I'm very flat footed also... found that the best thing ( for me) was to make sure that my boots were wide enough to allow for extra swelling by the end of the day. I've never used anything for an arch support. I'm on my feet and walking all day in and out of water (work at a greenhouse).... have Montrail boots and they work great on & off trails.

[David S.]

I have the flattest feet in the world. Finding a good shoe solution is something I liken to looking for the holy grail. I have come to accept the fact that I will experience some foot pain if I hike more than 10 miles or so.
This said, my foot pain is light years less than what it used to be because of several changes I have made. First, would highly recommend having a custom orthotic made for your feet...and made to fit the shoes or boots you plan to wear. Custom orthotics seem to help my feet a whole lot.

Next, you might want to look into some good motion control running/trail shoes. Mine are made by New Balance and keep my feet stable and from pronating as a flat footed person tends to do. Don't go to some big name sporting goods store to get these. I go to a store for runners where the staff are very experienced with feet, are runners themselves,...and are also very much familier with foot pain.

Proper fit of my shoes seemed to play a big part in my comfort level also.
I used to wear a 10.5 only to discover at the runners store that I should really be wearing a 12! I had no clue!

Boots always seemed to hurt my feet more than tennis shoes...though I never really had a good pair of boots before I switched to running shoes.

Another thing that I think helps my feet is going lightweight...this only makes sense if you think about it. Another thing that I feel that helps a good bit is the use of trekking poles.

Last of all, something I have been experimenting with lately for multiday trips is working up to bigger miles rather than just beginning a trip with a 10 mile day, instead, beginning with 5-6 miles, then 8-10 then on up. I feel like my feet do better when they have a chance to "warm up" like this.

There is alot of interesting reading on the internet about flat feet. I ordered some insoles from www.flatfoot.com and they seem to be pretty good for me for the price but my custom insoles are much better. You milage may vary but it may be worth a try.

Ultimately, you will probably find that you just have to experiment to find what is best for you. I wish you the best. David S.

[Happypappy]

My appointment is for next month to get foot molds done to build a set of custom orthotics. ( soonest date available ) yesterday I had steroid injections done on both heels and that really did kill a lot of the pain in walking, we'll just hope that it lasts a while. As for trekking poles, I started using them about 2 years ago, and it did help. I can only hope the custom orthotics help even more. What I have been using are a generic arch supporting footbed I got from the podiatrist, but yesterday he said that he belives they are not helping at all. Sort of what I said some time ago. Once the orthotics are delivered, I guess I'll just have to try fitting them in my current boots, and failing that, take them to a store with a good selection and hope for the best.

Ted

[dp the wonder dog]

I went to Utah about 10 years ago and had Randy Merrell build a pair of hiking boots. I'm a 13-very-narrow-very-flat foot, and the left is almost a good size shorter (Randy said something about shooting lame horses). The money with Randy was the best money I've ever spent on any hiking gear. I do not feel the need to get out of my boots at the end of the day...and no longer carry tennis shoes or camp shoes for the evenings. That said, I paid about $2700 total, including all expenditures for the 10 days out west. About five days at Randy's (stayed in motel), and the rest camped out across the state. That $ included lodging, airfare, rental car, etc. It was worth every penny.

I figure I've saved more than that in the last 10 years in avoiding wasting money on "trying" different off-the-shelf boots, custom orthodics, etc.

[Wilbur]

I have flat feet! Wasted 100 bucks on orthotics! Hiked 30 miles and got superfeet! They instantly made me walk differently, corrected my step. All my joints felt better, ankles, knees, hips. I loved it. They are the only way to hike with flat feet. Also, carry an extra set of just different insoles just to give your feet a little variety, helps a lot. - Will

[Krewzer]

Good luck with the orthotics. Sounds like you having a lot more problems than I've had with my flat feet.

I hike in Vasque, but their insoles aren't much, they completely melt away after a couple of weeks on the trail. I replace them with "spenco" or "superfeet" insoles. They're fairly easy to find along the AT. Spenco is cheaper, but I personally think superfeet may be a better choice.