If your feet aren't happy, the rest of your body is going to have a hard time being happy. Often neglected, our feet sometimes need a little support. I am talking about orthotics. These customized shoe inserts not only support your arch but control the motion of your heel as well, where damaging and incorrect foot patterns originate.


Folks prone to pronation often flatten out their arches by walking too heavily on the insides of their feet, and they can benefit from the support and control that orthotics provide. Stabilizing the joint just in front of the heel, known as the subtalar joint, affects how you walk through the ball of your foot and your toes. Orthotics can also help people with bunions, by preventing excess pressure on the joint of the big toe. Other common foot ailments that customized inserts can help with are plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, and even some knee pain caused from misalignment in the ankle.

Too see how much a pair of these foot savers cost, just read more.

I happen to have a pair and think that running without them would cause my feet all sorts of undue stress. You can have these inserts made at some high-end running stores for around $200 or by a podiatrist for $350 or more. First a mold of your foot is created. Then the mold is sent to a manufacturer, and about two weeks later you have an insert for your running shoes. You can generally insert the orthotic into any shoe with a removable insole. So they won't work with slingback heels, but can work with many "everyday" shoes. Ones made by podiatrists tend to be a bit more substantial, and a bit more corrective. The mold should be taken sitting down, with your foot in a corrected neutral position, something podiatrists I feel are better trained to do. Some inserts are made by making a plaster cast of the foot.

Do you have orthotics? Do you love them or hate them?

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