shoes for flat feet

MPwannasavemoney

My wife has flat feet and has been advised by the physiotherapist to wear shoes with good support and heels, both in the house and out of the house.
Do any shops specialise in shoes for flat feet?

Nile

Do you mean something like Scholl sandals? They have a shaped wooden sole which should give support. They do all sorts of styles, and not just sandals.


Scholl shoes/sandals are very expensive but they might be worth it if they are comfortable?

You can buy cheap imitation sandals (similar shaped sole) for around £7 a pair in shoe shops.;)

ka7e

It might be better to buy orthotic insoles that can be transferred between different pairs of shoes. A quick Goggle search came up with Dr Foot and Foothealthcare . Boots stock them, but you will find a better range instore.
Generally the sites seem to recommend extra wide shoes, as the foot tends to roll.

shazrazmataz

My 2 children both have flat feet & we bought gel insoles from JJB & they work a treat. Th kids ones cost £11.99 not too sure how much the adult ones are

Quackers

ka7e wrote:

It might be better to buy orthotic insoles that can be transferred between different pairs of shoes. A quick Goggle search came up with Dr Foot and Foothealthcare . Boots stock them, but you will find a better range instore.
Generally the sites seem to recommend extra wide shoes, as the foot tends to roll.

This is what I'd recommend too. You can even have insle made for your feet at a chiropodists. One pair of insoles that cost a bit is a whole lot better than lots of very expensive shoes.

I dont understand why she needs to wear shoes with heels That's odd!

Quasar

Whilst I do not have flat feet, in the last few years I have developed heelspurs which are painful knots on the back of the heel and cause severe pain.

I have some Scholl sandals with arch support, which I believe is what is needed for flat feet as well.

Boots stock orthotic insoles which have a good arch support and a heel shape to keep the whole foot in the correct position. The accompanying leaflet gives full details of various conditions and how the insoles can alleviate them. Adult ones cost £24 or thereabouts. I don't remember the brand, but they are brown. Boots do their own, but I have found them not suitable for my feet. I think they are slightly cheaper.

They can be washed and last a couple of years, depending how much you walk on them, and of course need to be used only in flat-insole shoes. I like wearing DocMartens in the winter, and I need the orthotic insoles for them. Funny, you'd think these shoes would have an inbuilt arch support, but there we go...

Good luck in your search, MPwannasavemoney!

shazrazmataz

My son has his made special by the orthotics clinic but they dont last two minutes that's why I bough him the 'gel' ones from JJB

cptnsausage

flat foot is a greatly misunderstood condition - its actually caused by bilaeral eversion of the hindfoot which causes the arch to then collapse - therefore the problem is not the arch - u need to wedge the heel medially ( on the inner side ) and it will correct the arch and heel simultaneously...as an orthotist this is the best way i have come accross, and can be achieved by mere heel wedges although insoles custom made are much more effective again - NHS should do this for free if you are referred to one of us orthotist people :-D - arch supports alone will just do more damage to the condition (even in the rare cases where they feel comfortable) especially in kids who are still growing - at best they do nothing to permanently correct the condition - which can be done if the kid is treated properly through their growth years...I've worked in a kids hospital for quite some time and I've seen hundreds of kids with the exact problem ur describing, and medial heel wedging is THE best way to manage it and if they are made well then they shouldn't cause any problems fitting shoes.

i say this as an Orthotist but also as a patient since i am at this moment wearing a pair for flat foot (although i was never treated as a child so im unable to correct permanently and will most likely have pain without the insoles if walk for long distances) Maybe refer back to the orthotist and get a new pair made of a much tougher material, because where i work we can offer huge numbers of different material grades that are equally good on kids feet

In relation to the first post the same treatment is just as effective in all adults but without the option of permanently fixing it as its already a structural feature of the mature bones - wear medially wedges Foot orthoses and i guarantee it will fix it

noonesperfect

I'm not saying all the styles would be suitable, but a great many of Fly Flot shoes offer excellent support and some are even quite trendy looking. They have built-in comfortable arch support. Whether it will be enough for your wife I don't know.

Shoeshop.com is a good place to look, though if you have a Pavers store in your town she would be able to try them on.

Also possibly worth having a look at Hotter or Ecco shoes.

fitorbust

Fly flots are good as they are cushioned and have a small arch support. Any shoes that have a built in arch support will help, but stay clear of shoes/sandals without any support on the top.
Ideally a cushioned pair of trainers with an arch support in would help.
It may be worth speaking to your GP about a referral to the Podiatry clinic (NHS) for some help and maybe some insoles/orthotics to fit in any shoe as an ealrier poster mentioned. If the physio is NHS they could probably help with a referral too.
I wouldn't go to the Scholl shop unless you want to be sold a very expensive pair of insoles that you may not need. That is just my personal opinion of course!
Orthaheel from Boots are very good and can be moved from shoe to shoe, but I would seek further professional advice before you spend a lot of money on possibly the wrong thing.
Good luck.

alric

very intrestd in what cp sausage has to say bein as my physio just told me the same, an am tryin insoles atm to help with running etc