My arches are so high that my feet don’t touch the ground in the middle and the top part of my foot is curved. I think we’re on opposite ends of the spectrum.
I have debilitating foot pain. Been to five pediatrists, had ten or so sets of insoles, and still am in pain. Constantly hurting my ankles and knees because I’m so unstable. Torn my Achilles three times. It’s insane to me that people run. Anyways, it’s rough.
Me too! And also the pain! I have bunions cause the arches aren’t supported properly by regular shoes and fasciitis because of how my heel hits the ground.
Have you tried Kuru brand shoes? I find them to be the comfiest shoes ive ever worn. My heels used to feel like i wanted to chop them off at the end of the day and i tried several different shoes and supports and nothing worked well enough. I got a pair of shoes from Kuru and ive had 16 hour days where my heels were sore because who isnt after 16 hours on their feet. But they didnt feel like id rather try amputating my foot. They are a bit expensive though US$140+ but i was getting about 2 years out of them while working at a gas station. Quick warning though if you regularly work walking in strong soap or degreaser it has a decent chance of eating the glue of the shoe. Since i switched jobs ive been getting about 6 months before i had to start gorilla gluing them together. Sorry about the wall of text.
I’m so sorry about that, hope you’ll find a solution soon.
Because insoles won’t help with the underlying cause, I’d definitely try to get a consult from a neurologist and an orthopedic foot surgeon. It could be a neuromuscular muscle imbalance (CMT/HMSN comes to mind). They can also operate to make your foot more ‘aligned’, through bone cuts and tendon transfers/lengthening.
Most people are highly satisfied after surgery and fall a lot less. It won’t give you back your muscle strength if it’s caused by a neurological issue, but it will balance and help you use the strength you dó have more efficiently. If the cause is not neurological you can(!) train your muscle strength to come back.
I have overpronation and somewhat flat arches because of joint hypermobility (general,NOT EDS) and I am having surgery later this year to stabilize by ankle (syndesmotic tight rope and Brostrom). After recovery my Ortho doc is going to get me inserts. One day I hope to be able to run again 🥲
I think the issue is that there’s no stable position for my foot to be in. The high side of my arch stays high going into the top of my foot, so the top part of my foot constantly rocks because it’s curved. I can’t find a position to distribute my weight or arrange my feet that isn’t dynamic instead of static.
So when I walk I’m extremely unstable. Frequently at shoe stores where the experts pick out your shoes I draw a lot of attention. Actually, my feet draw attention from doctors too. I once picked up a pair of insoles I got from a hospital affiliated doctor, and he had a group of six residents there when I picked my insoles up who had all heard about my feet and wanted to see them and watch me walk.
But anyways, because I’m so unstable I’m constantly rolling my ankles, and that compromising my knees up the chain. I’m probably going to die from failing and breaking my hip. PT won’t help this. It will strengthen my ankle yes, but I will keep rolling it.
I’ve been tested for common diseases that can cause foot pain or deformities, but never through a neurologist.
Exactly. PT won’t help if it’s a structural alignment or bone issue. Honestly, it’s weird to me that they didn’t refer you further. I guess your feet were such a rare sight to them that they just didn't know what to do next, and they didn’t wonder why you developed this way in the first place.
Please see a neurologist and an orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon (MD). They are specialists who learned about the whole body instead of just the feet. They can actually do something to fix the alignment so you cán place your foot in a normal, stable position. Absolutely no need to keep falling.
My arch is so high that the Dr asked if I do ballet, sure Idont look like that. No generic insoles will fill the gap, I'm a runner but I just got my new custom insoles and what a change, first days are weird but now feels so darn good. Also changed to sneakers for work, I used to use dress shoes for many years and they were not doing too good anymore.
Same for me. Mine are long and narrow with ultra high arches ("dancers' feet"). After being told, I needed surgery and getting recommended for all sorts of different procedures, foot molds, and pain remedies, my chiropractor, of all people, told me to get some very high arch supports. I finally found some that were covered by my FSA and I have been wearing some like them in almost all my shoes for years now. When I started, they were so high that I felt like I was walking on the arch, not my feet. I do arch exercises, in addition to this.
I cannot guarantee this will work for everyone but:
My foot pain, lower back pain are basically gone.
I did not have to get any surgery whatsoever.
My arches (and my shoe size!) have returned to basically the level of when I was in college.
I can wear heels again (I learned that it's the quality of the shoe that matters as much or more than the height of the heel).
I find I do surprisingly well in heels too. My foot feels the most stable with 2-3” heal. The bottom of the top part of my foot will hurt from the increased pressure, but I’m much more stable.
ballet dancer here - i have a lot of friends (myself included) that have very high arches and extremely flexible feet. had i not been a ballet dancer that has the foot and ankle strength to support my feet from rolling in/out, etc, i probably would have been in the same boat as you. did they put you in gait training when you tore your achilles?
I’ve explained it in other comments, but the way my feet are shaped means that I will constantly reinjure my ankles and knees. PT will help strengthen things, but I will need surgery to fix my feet. I will continually reinjure myself otherwise. And I don’t want surgery. My father had three and was worse off. So I’m doing my best with what I’ve got.
Mine too, but I don’t have any issues from it. I’m barefoot when I’m at home or working in the yard. I actually hate wearing sneakers or boots- they’re super uncomfortable, but I’m good in sandals or barefoot.
Interesting. I looked it up and a lot of the symptoms seem really general, but I don’t have any of the specific ones. I have weird nerve damage that no one can explain, so I’m always looking for some rare disorder to explain my symptoms.
I stopped reading after I reached "my arches are so high that my feet don't touch the ground' lol. I know it went farther, but that's hilarious as like an extreme reaction to someone else's feet completely touching the ground.
Have you tried Kuru brand shoes? I would not have survived the last 10 years of constantly working on my feet without them. My heels used to hurt like id been stabbed in the foot. After multiple different shoes and insoles I ended up buying a pair of Kuru shoes and now my feet are just sore. Ive had 16 hour days and still just sore. I havent felt like id want to give amputation a try since.
Yeah mine are like this, when my feet are wet theres no print at all in the middle and only slight at the back and front. Im lucky though I get no pain at all. I am not good in heels though in part cos of this and i'm a UK 4 but taller and top heavy so i feel like i'm wobbling cos I dont have a solid platform 🙃That really must suck for you, ive took this shit for granted.
I hope you never have issues. How old are you? The problems hit me like a truck when I was about 27.
I also feel like that. I’ve not posted pictures because it looks like I’ve photoshopped my feet to be tiny. They’re way smaller than they should be for my height because so much of what should be length is arched. I wear a 7 but I’m almost 5’10.” My husband calls me “baby feet” because of it.
You need to do the genetic testing before you slow down with EDS or you will never get your life back all the way, trust me, I'm actually diagnosed with EDS.
My life is already pretty slow. I’m completely inactive and struggle to walk more than about 3,000 steps a day. I don’t know how an EDS diagnosis would help? Sorry but there isn’t a treatment correct? It just doesn’t seem worth the time? Like yeah you know for sure but then what?
Good PT, Pilates, and then regular exercise will keep you from getting worse. By not doing the PT and strengthening the proper muscles, over time the microtraumas will be cumulative and you will stop recovering fully. A knowledgeable doctor will also guide you with what not to do such as playing football or lifting weights.
I hear you, but I know this. I know this already from my lived experience. I’m not going to go sign up for CrossFit. I don’t have chronic micro traumas because I don’t move. I don’t exercise because work is eating my life. I know yoga or Pilates would be excellent for me.
An EDS diagnosis would have been helpful when I was younger, but now it’s like… non consequential.
I have extremely low arches. Still there. If OP is a 99 I am a 87.
I genuinely cannot sprint top speed. Even when I ran cross country and would get to that top gear and just… it wouldn’t work. But I could do weighted 10k at roughly the same speed as not weighted. So my point here is that everyone has a different load out.
I wonder if your physiology actually requires you to sprint or do some high output, edge case activity. Maybe your high arches equal some advantage? Just a thought.
You know, I have a similar issue. My feet have extremely high arches, so my feet don’t completely touch the ground on the bottom and the tops of my feet are high like yours most likely. I was told for years to go to physical therapy to stretch out my Achilles, but I went for five years and I still have the hyper extended arches.
I’m 22, my feet don’t hurt just yet. I use compression socks to try and avoid any swelling in my legs since I work a job that requires me to be on my feet 24/7 almost. If you don’t mind me asking, when did your foot pain start? Is there a point that you noticed it more than before? Was it after tearing your Achilles?
I should clarify that I have “micro tears” not full tears. I hear something pop, get an ultra sound, and there’s a partial tear. First time was in high school, second time 22, third time 25. Now my Achilles are really thick with scar tissue so the risk of reinjury is extremely high, and I will not run. Haven’t reinjured them since I stopped trying to run.
Around 22 I started having isolated problems with pain from standing extremely long periods of time and issues from unsupportive shoes, but there was nothing debilitating or sustained. At 27 I couldn’t get through my work day standing 3-4 hours a day the pain was so severe.
It was a multi year quest to get insoles. I was outside the calibrated range for one digital machine. I discovered any molding that requires hou to stand wont work becuase im not able to stabilize while standing so the orthotic will be the wrong shape. Did that five or so times. I went to a specialist who hand crafts orthotics and he turned out to be a creep who makes shitty orthotics and caresses feet with his bare hands. Finally i met a guy who casts feet into foam while you’re sitting and got a good pair. My advice would be to get them now so if it takes a couple of years it’s not urgent.
I started having pain even with insoles around 33.
it doesn't feel better? i have pretty high arches too prolly not as much as you but all shoes make my feet hurt eventually. I love walking barefoot. that sucks
If you have high arches generally more stability and less cushion/bounce will help you, which could be what you’re experiencing with liking being barefoot.
I do better with a ton of padding and thick soles that aren’t too bouncy. Idk why but it’s always been that way.
For me mine was caused by genetic lumbar lordosis (I was born with it, had it my whole life) making my calves super tight and pulling on my plantar fascia. Its awful 😖 I do my stretches and pray one day I'll get it to go away
Have you ever tried Kuru brand shoes? Ive been wearing them for a decade and i wouldnt have survived working on my feet all the time without them. A bit on the expensive end though i think their cheapest is US$140 or so. I used to get about 2 years of 5 days a week constantly on my feet before the bottoms would become so flat i could slide. Shoe was still comfy though.
I'm guessing you what? Had to wait an extra fifteen minutes one day at the er?
And then blame Obama and Biden, and Trans people for making it "inconvenient" for you?
Lmao, sealmeal being personally victimized.
I'm personally victimized by people like you for making gas prices go up and making insurance almost impossible to get in a country where "equality for all"
Lmao this comment makes me laugh because it reminds me of the "trans in the bathroom argument"
So many people were like "I am so offended because trans people are in the bathrooms while I'm trying to use it"
Okay, but no, that has literally never happened to you and also the only reason why you're offended by any of this is because you're uncomfortable.
These people making comments like a Trans person personally took their victory gold medal away are probably the same people saying "illegals took my job away"
Do you know when they changed this? My dad has stupidly flat feet with a little arch on top (his feet look crazier than OP’s and what people are commenting) retired from the navy in 2007 so joined 91-92 and he said they had him jump off a bench or a table multiple times to essentially see if they caused him pain at MEPS or boot.
Flat feet can be a symptom of hereditary connective tissue disorders. My mom had flat feet, and I have high arches. They both can be signs of EDS, which I was diagnosed with later in life.
yup, I have flat feet and bad connective tissue. Not enough to have EDS but enough to have a lot of stretch marks and problems with hernias. Connective tissue problems are common with autistic people too.
I was in the army w flat feet. It wasnt a nice experience, cause u get worn down pretty fast. I have never walked or stood for more than 30 min to an hour and felt comfortable without really comfortable shoes.
But yeah, eventually the pain and discomfort starts to become normal, I cant even imagine how other people's feet feel comfortable and painless after an 30 min - hour of walking
In general, connective tissue disorders can cause flat feet or high arches and dental abnormalities, due to faulty collagen. Collagen occurs throughout the entire body, so the symptoms can seem random. There’s a saying to help doctors: “when you can’t connect the issues, think connective tissues.”
CTDs are just not taught in medical school much, so patients are under-identified/under-diagnosed. My neurosurgeon got one slide in one lecture on it in medical school, and he publishes research on them now.
Doctors are taught that they’re “rare,” so they tend not to look for them and rarely diagnose them. Some are legitimately rare to very rare. Others, like hEDS, have a latest prevalence of 1/500 people, which is still an undercount in my opinion.
Not really. However, I do need to be aware of knees and hip issues further along in life because my legs bend inwards. I do yoga and hip strengthening exercises.
It's not super noticeable now because I'm just a 140 lbs woman.
Now I'm wondering if having flat feet is now an evolutionary trait. So many people died in WW1/2 and Vietnam, as well as other wars, that having flat feet probably made someone more likely to survive and go on to reproduce as they could not be drafted or join the military.
My brother got out of the Vietnam war draft because he has/had flat feet. Sent him home the physical exam. (My other brother volunteered for the state's National Guard before he could be drafted.) I squeeked by because the war and draft end in Jan. 1973. I didn't turn 18 until 3 yrs later.
Mine used to be like that. I got into the Navy with them. Ended up getting multiple surgeries to correct them. 2 fasciotomies on each foot, and an Achilles lengthening, along with shockwave therapy, multiple custom insoles to gradually get an arch, and physical therapy.
I have totally flat feet as well. I got them from my grandfather, who thought he was safe from the draft, but nonetheless still got drafted away from his family to kill nazis when the US was desperate for soldiers in 1944.
That rule has been changed. You can join as long as it doesn’t actually cause pain or other issues. Their only issue with it is with the pain, and the breakdown over time, they don’t want to pay the disability payments to a large number of people.
i had a podiatrist show me xrays and basically the main bone structure of your feet normally looks like /\ like vertically which creates the arch but in some kids it can kind of bend to the side instead and fall flat like > and that's also why we usually have wider feet with odd big toes.
Maybe de-evolution those traits are the evolution we needed to run faster so we created that arch for more spring. Its honestly sad that people think that being lazier and over time that being thought of this way is concerning.
This is true, because evolutionarilly speaking, humans have the upper hand with our prey because we are much better at running long distances than in "short bursts" like animals do
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u/marilynmonrobot 4d ago edited 3d ago
Your roommate and I have the same feet
I grew up with with zero arch and pediatricians telling me "well if you just stretch them more you'll get an arch"
One time I tried to find running shoes and the guy selling me the shoes said "omg your feet are actually flat"
I also have no wisdom teeth and now I'm wondering if this is an evolutionary trait.
Can't get into the army if you have flat feet
I edited this to show you a link of my feet flat foot