Arche Supports - in shoes and orthotics (skin, sore, doctor)

[goldengrain]

I have walked around all summer in Birkenstocks, which have great arch supports.

I (and the husband) have orthotic supports from (different) doctors and they are horrible. Not washable. Do not lift the arches, but maintain the low support, so posture is not improved, too heavy to wear in shoes like a loafer - the shoes flop on and off with every step. They are expensive and must be purchased new every so many years.

I bought the 'made for tv' orthotics which were a big improvement over the doctor's but still clunky and high' The heat from your foot softens the plastic and they lower a bit while you have them on, but if you put a cushion on top of them that doesn't happen.

Then, I got some 'good feet' wafer thin translucent arches that can even be worn with heels if they are stuck to the shoe with double sided tape. I love these. Expensive, but as close to perfection as I can get, I guess.

I have a drawer full of different foot cushions and orthotics.

I would like, however, to go through the winter as I did in the summer. I hate having to route through my shoes to find the ones I put the supports in.

So I am looking for winter walking shoes, maybe maryjanes, which MIGHT look good with a skirt (not absolutely essential) that have really great arches for flat feet. I figure if Birkenstock can make them there should be others out there who can also.

Online shoe stores have the biggest selection of shoes and I have been haunting them through emails for shoes with high arch supports. There are some in which you have to click on each shoe to see customer reviews, if there are any, that may indicate 'high' arch supports and some of these are misleading.

I am so tired of the sneaker/athletic shoes and all the darned laces.

Is anyone else going through this struggle? Are there any brands that are particularly good for this probem? Naot says all their shoes have excellent support. Is that your experience?

I have also been told that one manufacturer may make lines that have no, low, and high arches. Gee, this is confusing!

[Ellise]

I wear these wooden clogs: Home | SuperiorClogs.com, which have a very high arch support.

They're not for everyone, I suppose, but they're the only shoes (that I know of) that I can wear anymore without orthotics. Even Birkenstocks don't have enough arch support for me.

[Moonlady]

I haven't found a shoe that gives as much support as some of the sandals (why is that?) but three of my favorite shoe brands that provide good (not great) support are Ecco, Merrell and Munro.

I have terrible feet and have more than just arch problems so it's important for me to find a shoe that is comfortable all around besides providing a good arch support. I haven't tried Naot because I haven't tried one that meet my "all around comfortable" criteria.

Do you have stores where you are that carry a variety of good brands? It's true that even the same manufacturers have shoes that are made differently. I'm lucky to have a couple of stores here that specialize in these types of shoes, but if I can't find what I'm looking for, I use Zappos since they have free return shipping.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

I have almost all SoftWalk shoes. I get them online at www.Zappos.com, which has a good return policy. SoftWalks run true to size and Zappos has a good customer comment system. While expensive (most are $80-100) they last forever and are extremely comfortable. I have high arches and they fit me just fine.

I also like Zappos search criteria - you can search by size, color, heel height and they even have a Wide category.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by goldengrain

I have walked around all summer in Birkenstocks, which have great arch supports.

I (and the husband) have orthotic supports from (different) doctors and they are horrible. Not washable. Do not lift the arches, but maintain the low support, so posture is not improved, too heavy to wear in shoes like a loafer - the shoes flop on and off with every step. They are expensive and must be purchased new every so many years.
I bought the 'made for tv' orthotics which were a big improvement over the doctor's but still clunky and high' The heat from your foot softens the plastic and they lower a bit while you have them on, but if you put a cushion on top of them that doesn't happen.
Then, I got some 'good feet' wafer thin translucent arches that can even be worn with heels if they are stuck to the shoe with double sided tape. I love these. Expensive, but as close to perfection as I can get, I guess.
I have a drawer full of different foot cushions and orthotics.

I know that you're not asking for suggestions on orthotics, but if by chance you haven't tried Superfeet insoles, you might want to give them a shot. I went through a few different lousy orthotics before i found them.

[goldengrain]

I thought I needed a shoe with high arches. This is only partially true, I now find.

I had spent an entire summer, as a teen, down the shore walking on hot sand. As a result I had lost the softness of the soles of my feet. I started sanding them down, little by little with a device that I bought at Harmon's. It is not this, but looks something like it:



You have to file with a light touch. If you are too forceful the good skin underneath gets sore and tries to make more callused skin.

Anyway, now almost all the rough stuff is gone and there is less distance between the flat part of my foot and the arch. This means I do not need such a high arch.

I started thinking that there was this other problem that I should address when I tried so many shoes by good manufacturers and none suited me. This led me to believe that my feet could have a unique situation.

So, if you have a problem with needing very high arches, you might consider, if you have calloused thick skin on your feet, to file that down.

I hope I have expressed myself understandably here.

[wit-nit]

Spouse and I went to a local orthotic lab about 20 years ago and had moulds made of our feet and custom orthotics to fit perfectly, we've never regretted it since. About every 2-3 years we have to get them recovered, not very excpensive, @$15.00.