Are you going on a walking holiday and considering orthotics for a comfortable trip? Here is all you need to know before investing.
What is an orthotic?
It may be defined as a customized insole that is created to prevent feet of the user from rolling inward. People who have a problem with their feet find solutions in the form of insoles or support shoes.
However, insoles might not always provide the correction they need. Sometimes, it offers too much support that leads to further pain as it puts the ligaments and joints in your body under pressure in outward. It might also work sometimes.
An orthotic is a custom-made support that is specifically created for individual feet and designed around your specific requirements. These are created for the user to wear inside a neutral shoe and can be used with your day-to-day footwear.
Do I need orthotics?
If there are problems with your feet, it can lead to a variety of injuries including back pain, knee pain as well as shin splits.
When the foot arch collapses, it causes the foot to roll inwards which is known as overpronation. This process puts a lot of pressure on the alignment of ligaments and joints, and causes long-term damage to the knees, back and hip if it isn’t treated on time.
In fact, most people have an overpronating foot and only around 10% of the people have a neutral foot strike.
Fortunately, not all the people who have a collapsed arch and flat feet require support shoes. The need for support shoes depends on the body mechanism of each individual.
Support shoes can create issues for some people. Therefore, it is important for you to get the correct advice when you’re buying shoes. You should share the necessary information with the shoe adviser regarding your running history with different types of running shoes.
When Should I Buy a Custom-Made Orthotic?
If you are experiencing pain in your joints when you walk or run, it means that your body needs support while running. However, it also means that you need to have support in your regular day-to-day footwear also.
This is where an orthotic can be of great help as you can wear it every day, visit the Orthotic Shop to find orthotic insoles. It will make sure that all the ligaments and joints in your body are correctly aligned, and it will help you avoid unnecessary strain on joints and ligaments in your body.
If you are unable to find relief from joint or ligament pain even after using support shoes (when it does not correct overpronation), you should immediately go see a podiatrist.
Your joint pain could be caused due to a variety of things. For instance, if one of your legs is slightly longer than the other leg, it creates an imbalance which results in hip and back pain.
On the other hand, if there is an imbalance in the strength in your muscles, it will lead to one leg working more effectively as compared to the other one, and this will put pressure on your ligaments which could cause further damage.
If both feet do not behave in the same manner and you are unable to correct this imbalance by using a support shoe, you should visit a podiatrist. A podiatrist will create custom-made insoles for each of your feet in order to correct the imbalance.
You should also consider orthotics if you experience back pain when you are sleeping.
The Importance of Choosing the Right Shoe
It is extremely important to choose the right shoe as different shoes provide different support levels. Every single brand is different when it comes to shoe support.
Also, the cushioning along with the support varies in different shoes. Therefore, you need to try out various brands as you need to consider factors other than the support too. For instance, 8 mm drop is offered by some brands for encouraging forefoot strike. It also helps in making the shoes less bulky.
However, this solution doesn’t work for everyone. When the drop in a shoe goes lower, it causes the calves to work harder. It can lead to calf tightness in case you have weak calves.
Nike currently offers a broader toe box that is designed for broader feet. It is important to choose the right shoe shape for your feet. In case the shoe shape doesn’t meets match the foot shape, it can lead to numb feet, blisters as well as black toenails.
Shoe companies are constantly innovating and updating their shoes. Shoes can vary greatly in terms of width and in terms of stitching which has an effect on the support offered by the shoe. These seemingly simple changes can have a different effect on each individual. Take a look at the Orthotic Shop for a great range of shoes.
You might want to stick to your favorite brand when you want to upgrade to the latest version. However, you should never assume that the latest version of your favorite shoe will offer the same support as the previous version. Therefore, you need to try on new shoes you are considering in order to make sure they provide the support you need for your foot strike.
Conclusion
To conclude, it won’t be wrong to say that people wearing support shoe have flat feet but not everyone with falling arches or flat feet requires shoe support. It all boils down to how everyone deals with a collapsed arch.
If you have a collapsed arch, you might think that you need a support shoe. Before buying one, you need to consider your experience with wearing shoes with, as well as without any support.
If you have never suffered any injuries wearing a neutral shoe but it still overpronates, it is recommended to stay with the neutral shoe as it means that your body manages to correct itself. Your body might react to the collapsed arch by simply turning your feet outward in order to reach a balance.
