You spend all day on your feet, so having proper arch support is essential to your short-term comfort and long-term health. The right custom shoe inserts will absorb all the stress your feet undergo every day. Every foot is unique, so learn how to get just the right amount of arch support for your needs.

Guide to Finding Custom Shoe Inserts

Classify Your Arches

Arches fall into three main categories: normal, flat (low), or high arches. Normal arches are the most common type of foot. They handle stress absorption well, but can always use extra support — especially for individuals who are on their feet a lot. When you look at your footprint and half of the arch is imprinted on the ground, that shows that you have medium arches.

Flat or low arches leave the entire footprint visible on the ground. People with flat feet often experience Achilles tendonitis, arthritis, bunions, and hammer toes. High arches leave just the heel and ball of the foot on the ground in a footprint, so you cannot see the arch at all. This is the least common type of arch. People with this type of foot deal with a lot of shock traveling up their legs because their high arch doesn’t absorb it at all. This can lead to prematurely sore feet with insufficient arch support.

Choose Your Insole Type

Insoles come in three types: rigid, soft, and semi-rigid. The rigid support style is what you’ll get with custom shoe inserts. Because they are custom-made, they can be created to suit any type of arched foot. They prevent the foot from turning in an attempt to compensate for high or low arches. Custom shoe inserts are an excellent choice for those dealing with plantar fasciitis, weight issues, over-pronation, or over-supination. Soft support insoles are made of foam or gel, and they ease pressure on the sore parts of the foot. It’s a fitting choice for people dealing with bunions, hammertoes, calluses, or diabetes-related foot fatigue. Semi-rigid insoles are a combination of the two. Podiatrists recommend them frequently for people who are on their feet a lot and need shock absorption like athletes and servers.

Custom shoe inserts provide much better support than over-the-counter insoles. Dr. Warren Trampe at Deer Creek Foot Care has many years of experience diagnosing and treating foot problems for patients around O’Fallon, MO. Their state-of-the-art facility uses cutting edge technology to create a custom insole that will treat your foot problems. Learn more on their website and call (636) 240-1127 to schedule an appointment.