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Here’s a little-known fact: good posture starts from your feet. Having proper arch support keeps your knee facing the front and ensures both sides of your knees, shoulders and hips are level when you’re standing. This maintains the neutral alignment of your spine, distributes your body weight evenly, and minimizes the effort required by your muscles during body movements. Yes, we know, it sounds ridiculous, but don’t you worry, we’ll explain how.
Why is Arch Support Important?
For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, arch support is essentially a shoe insert that supports the arch of your foot. Usually in the form of an insole, but in some cases or designs such as slip-on shoes, it could be built into the footwear itself. Arch support comes in a variety of arch heights depending on your foot type. For example, if you have conditions like flat feet, you may need a higher and sturdier arch support. To determine the height of your arch, you can conduct a wet test.
Now that you’re acquainted with arch support, here’s how and why it is important. Proper arch support allows your feet to be at its natural shape, if you didn’t know, the arch of your feet helps absorb shock when walking and also distributes your body weight evenly. This ensures that you can go about your daily activities with minimal foot pain or strain in your feet, sparing you from complications in the later stages of your life.
If you have excessively low or high foot arches, the lack of proper arch support could be the reason for that long-lasting foot pain or discomfort. Flat feet reduce the capability to absorb shock when walking, and high arches can displace your body weight towards the outside of your feet. These types of feet conditions easily strain the feet and cause inflammation of the sole, a condition known as plantar fasciitis. Without proper arch support, people with conditions like flat feet or high arches could have inward or outward turning knees. Other than having knee pain when walking due to this, it can trigger an upward ripple effect that causes misalignment of the pelvis, spine and shoulders, placing unnecessary stress on certain joints.
How to get Good Arch Support?
Whether it's removable insoles or built into footwear, here’s a little guide on how you know the arch support you’re getting is suitable and of good quality. These insoles should cater to different arch heights fitting the contours of your foot arch. For a start, you can gauge whether you have a low, medium or high arch through this simple wet test. High arches generally require insoles that stretch across the entire sole of your feet and can relieve pressure for the heel and forefoot, reducing any foot pain. Low and firm insoles are suitable if you have flat feet, or if you notice that your feet tend to lean inwards excessively.
Not all arch supports are made equal as they can be made from a variety of materials such as foam, gel, polyurethane or cork. Foam provides the best cushioning for feet that can become easily tender and painful, but memory foam should be approached with caution due to its reputation of collapsing easily, which can cause further foot pain. Gel is known for its shock-absorbing capabilities and is ideal for high-impact activities like running. Arch support made of cork or polyurethane can take its time to contour around your feet but is very long-lasting and can be a good investment. Regardless of the material you end up choosing, make sure the arch support can hold its shape, and definitely replace them frequently.
