Flat Feet & Fallen Arches

The terms "flat feet" and "fallen arches" refer to the same thing: Feet with extremely low arches, such that the entire foot makes contact with the ground when standing.

If you think of a footprint in sand, most people's footprints show where the arch of the foot is raised and doesn't make contact with the ground (the higher the arch, and narrower the shape of the footprint through the midfoot). Those with flat feet, however, show extremely little or no raised arch: Their footprint shows complete contact with the ground through the midfoot.

No. The term "flat feet" (or "fallen arches") refers to those whose midfoot makes near-total contact with the ground. The term "low arches" refers to those who do have a defined foot arch, but whose arch height is lower than typical.

If the average arch height is between 22-25mm (medium/neutral arch), a low-arched individual may have an arch height of 15mm, while someone with flat feet may measure <10mm or no defined arch at all.

There's a number of causes, such as:

• Genetics or incomplete foot arch development during childhood.
• Injury to the tendons in the arch of the foot, causing them to be unable to support the natural foot arch.
• Age causing the tendons in the arch of the foot to weaken.
• Excess strain on the foot due to activity and/or weight.

In all cases, the core cause is the tendons in the midfoot. When the tendons become unable to support the foot (due to injury, weakening, etc.), the arch collapses.

To best treat flat feet/fallen arches, we want to provide external support to the arch of the foot in order to alleviate the strain on the midfoot that caused the arch to collapse in the first place. Typically, we recommend either adding an Arch Support Insert to your existing shoes, or replacing your existing shoe insoles with a Low Arch Support Insole.

Regardless of whether weakening or strain caused fallen arches, "reinforcing" the arch of the foot with an arch support will help keep the foot supported and alleviate strain on the midfoot. Using low-profile supports or supports designed for low arches helps ensure that there's not too much support, which could cause additional pain in its own right.