1Determining Your Footwear Needs
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1Identify if you have foot problems or variations. Many people have variations such as flat feet, high arches, low arches, or wide feet. If this applies to you, you’ll need to choose shoes designed for your problem or variation. To find out if you have foot problems or variations, wet your foot and make a print on a brown piece of paper. Then, trace the outline of your foot.[1]If your footprint shows the entire sole of your foot, with little to no curve on the inside, you have low arches or flat feet.
If your footprint shows only a portion of your forefoot and heel, with a narrow connection between the two, you have high arches.
If your footprint has a distinct curve along the inside, you have a neutral arch.
- 2Choose a shoe with a maximum support for flat feet. Flat feet leads to overpronation, meaning your feet roll inward. This creates extra wear on the inside heel and inside forefoot, so you’ll want a shoe with a motion-control feature.[2]
3Choose a shoe with a soft midsole and extra cushioning for high arches. High arches lead to underpronation, meaning your feet roll outward. This creates extra wear on the outer edge of the heel and little toe.[3]- 4Choose a “stability” shoe for neutral arches. If you have neutral arches, you’ll need a shoe the right amount of support and cushioning, so choose one with a stability feature.[4]
