OldFriendFootwear Blog

Everyone has flat feet. OK, not really. But everyone starts with flat feet. Look at a baby’s foot. It’s flat because the arch hasn’t developed yet. The arch develops during childhood.

But many adults suffer from flat feet. Some people have flat feet because they never develop an arch. Some get flat feet later in life because their arches have fallen over time as a result of age. Others get flat feet as a result of wear and tear, or obesity.

Flat feet don’t necessarily hurt, but flat feet can be sore after standing for a long time. Flat feet can also lead to other foot pain due to plantar fasciitis and pain elsewhere in the body, like the ankles, hips or back. And if you suffer from flat feet, you might not stay as active as you should, which leads to a whole new set of problems caused by lack of exercise.

The point we’re making here is even if your flat feet aren’t causing you pain now, it’s best to buy shoes for flat feet to prevent more problems later, whether that means foot pain or other complications like plantar fasciitis, heel spurs or back pain.

Shoes for flat feet are shoes with arch support. Shoes for flat feet won’t fix your flat feet or make them go away, but the arch support in shoes for flat feet will help prevent the complications from happening, like the over pronation.

When shopping for shoes for flat feet, it’s the arch support that matters. Make sure you’re getting the arch support, and then make sure to replace your shoes for flat feet before that arch support starts to break down.

Old Friend Footwear sells shoes and slippers with arch support that are perfect for flat feet.

Back pain? Blame your feet.

Even though your foot are all the way down there, if they’re not functioning correctly, they put your whole body out of whack. They are your foundation after all. You wouldn’t build a house on a crooked foundation and expect straight walls, would you? Same with your feet. Your feet need to be right for your body to work right.

Flat feet, or over pronation, cause lower back pain because you lack an arch, making your legs roll in. Try it even if you don’t have flat feet, but a normal arch: Stand on your feet, then push your arches towards the floor to simulate flat feet. Feel your ankles and legs rolling inward?

When that happens, your body is out of alignment: Your house has crooked walls. And that eventually leads to lower back pain.

Even if you don’t have flat feet, if you have poorly fitted shoes, or shoes lacking arch support, you’ll likely suffer from lower back pain after standing for a long time, or walking a long distance.

Excessive pronation typically causes the legs to rotate inwards, and the pelvis to tilt forward. The result is increased spinal curvature and continuous tension on the muscles in the lower back, causing pain and discomfort in this important area of the body

In 1999, an article by H.J. Dananberg and M. Guiliano published in Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association studied custom orthotics as a way to relieve chronic lower back pain. The results of the study showed that those people who used custom orthotics vs. traditional back pain treatment had twice the improvement for twice as long.

The good news for you if you suffer from flat feet or lower back pain is you can buy shoes for flat feet and alleviate the pain without the expense and hassle of custom orthotics. Shop for shoes with good arch support and you’ll straighten out your foundation and therefore your walls.

Shoes for flat feet mean the arch support that can end your lower back pain. Or if your arches are fine, but being on your feet for a long time makes your back hurt, shop for shoes as if you were searching for shoes for flat feet. It could just be the arch support you need.

Cow feet have me thinking about flat feet. Have you ever noticed how cow feet work? OK, I mean hooves. I have lately because there’s a three-month-old calf living in my backyard temporarily. He’s an orphan who needs to be bottle-fed, so I have him until his owner finds another place for him to go.

I didn’t grow up on a farm or anywhere near cows, so having him nearby and bottle feeding him and getting him socialized has all been fascinating for me not just because I’m learning about calf behavior and instincts, but also about his anatomy, especially his foot.

Watching T-Bone walk across a variety of surfaces like grass, asphalt, uneven areas and bark, I see how flexible that cloven hoof is. It splits or stays together as needed. It doesn’t cover nearly the same surface area as a human foot, yet bears a lot more weight. He doesn’t have an arch, he has a flat hoof. And T-Bone can do all kinds of things with those feet, like walk and run and kick and scratch his own head.

It really puts the human foot in perspective by comparison. And it puts flat feet in perspective because they aren’t functioning the way nature intended. T-Bone’s hooves are flat, but they do what they’re meant to do. Flat feet on a human don’t.  

Although flat feet don’t sound like they’d be painful, people with flat feet can suffer from foot pain. Worse and more likely, flat feet can cause foot and leg pain too including knee pain, shin splints, Achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis because these feet aren’t functioning properly. Flat feet also over pronate (turn in) which can affect your muscles and ligaments. Some people are born with or genetically predisposed to flat feet. Others develop flat feet over time as a result of high-heeled or other shoes, obesity or problems like a tight Achilles tendon.

How do you make up for a flat foot? Buy shoes for flat feet. Shoes for flat feet won’t give you back your arches and get rid of your flat feet, but they will lessen the chance of other conditions developing by arching your foot for you.

If you have a normal arch now, but want to prevent flat feet later, be sure to wear shoes and slippers with arch support to decrease your chances of developing flat feet!

As for the calf, I’m glad his flat feet function fine, as I’m not sure I’d be able to find shoes to fit him!

At Old Friend Footwear, people often tell us they have flat feet and need a little extra arch support. While it’s a common term, do you know what “flat feet” means? Do you even know if you have flat feet?

About 25 percent of Americans have the condition commonly known as flat feet. A flat foot means the arch of the foot collapses, so the entire sole of the foot comes into complete (or near-complete) contact with the ground.

If you think you have flat feet, there’s a simple at-home test you can do. Get the bottom of your feet wet and step onto a smooth, level surface, such as concrete. Try putting down a heavy piece of paper or cardboard so you can see your footprint better.

The more the sole of the foot makes contact with the ground, the flatter your feet are. With a normal footprint, or a foot with a normal to high arch, the inner edge of the bottom of the foot will not be seen.

Some people are born with flat feet. The arch simply never develops in one foot or both feet. So the condition can be hereditary. Others develop flat feet. A falling arch can occur from an injury, illness (such as diabetes), stress to the foot or aging. Shoes that don’t provide proper arch support can cause a falling arch. Flat feet also can occur temporarily in pregnant women as a result of changes during the pregnancy.

More about flat feet in an upcoming blog post.