Are you experiencing foot and leg pain and have been recently diagnosed with supination? You may have heard that orthotics can help treat supination, so in this post, I will go over the best orthotics for women with supination. However, first I would like to address a few key points that will hopefully provide you with further insights and steer you on the right path.
Many women who come to the shoe store are referred by their physical/occupational therapists to be fitted for orthotics. I have fitted some of the best orthotics for women that have supination, and in most cases, they help in aligning your entire body and in fully eliminating your foot and leg pain.
What is Referred to as Supination?
Supination, also known as under-pronation, is the outward roll of the foot during normal motion. In simple terms, supination occurs when your feet roll outward as they walk. This is actually the opposite of pronation, which is the inward roll of the foot. The image below shows an image of a woman with supination:
Note that excessive or over supination places a big strain on the muscles and tendons that stabilize the ankle, and this can lead to the ankle rolling completely over, resulting in an ankle sprain or even worse total ligament rupture.
Causes and Issues Related to Supination
One of the main causes of supination is having a high foot arch, which tends to force you to walk on the outer edge of your feet. However, supination may also be caused by weakness in certain muscles of your feet and this lack of strength might be a result of wearing shoes that don’t provide enough support or that don’t properly fit.
Most women who come to the shoe store diagnosed with supination by their medical professional have high arches. Below you can find a couple of images of women with high arches:
The biggest issue with supination is the extra stress that you place on the outside of the foot with each step you take. If you are walking or running long distances, then you will experience foot and leg pain. Sometimes even standing for long time periods of time will cause foot pain or foot fatigue. This may also lead to certain women refusing to participate in activities or sports due to their feet and legs hurting or feeling tired.
Most Common Associated Conditions with Supination
Supination may cause a number of conditions that affect not only the foot, but also the ankles, knees, hips and back. The most common symptoms of supination amongst others are listed as follows:
- Achilles tendinitis
- Plantar fasciitis and arch pain
- Ankle sprains
- Heel pain
- Flat feet
- Back and Hip pain
Treating Supination with Orthotics
Both supination and pronation are bio-mechanical problems, and are best treated and prevented with orthotic inserts. Therefore, the correct type of orthotics will help align your body by helping you walk and run straighter, and at the same time, the orthotic can attenuate the stress that you are putting on parts of your body where you are not supposed to. Do note that you must avoid a rigid orthotic for this foot type since it may actually increase the risk of injury.
In addition, if you have noticed that you are walking or running differently, or if you have been complaining of your feet and legs feeling constantly tired, it is important that you consult your doctor or physical therapist, so they can evaluate you and advise accordingly.
What Makes the Orthotics that I Recommend Ideal for Supination?
1️⃣ The orthotics/insoles that I recommend provide supportive outsoles that are firm but flexible for increased comfort and stability:
2️⃣ The orthotics/insoles that I recommend provide high arch support with a deep heel cup to provide heel stability:
Women with Supination – Before and After Images!
I recently was contacted via email by a woman with supination. After I recommended shoes and orthotics for her, I asked her to take an image of her feet standing barefoot and then wearing a pair of shoes with orthotics. Let’s take a look those images.
Before Image: Standing Barefoot
After Image: Wearing Supportive Shoes and Orthotics
What a difference the correct pair of shoes and orthotics can make!
Best Orthotics for Women with Supination – End Your Foot and Leg Pain!
There are certain types of orthotics that are biomechanically engineered to relieve supination, forefoot, heel, arch and leg pain, and these are the ones that I will describe below. Below you can find the best orthotic for women with supination. Disclosure: Note that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases, this allows us to create free content and resources.
- Full length insoles with high arch support and maximum cushioning for moderate support
- Ideal for pain associated with Plantar Fasciitis, mild to moderate pronation, Achilles Tendonitis, shin splints and other foot, ankle, knee, hip & back pain
- Specifically designed for those with high arches. Feet with high arches need arch support and cushioning to stabilize and reduce excess pressure on the ball and heel of the foot
- Odor control technology
- These insoles can be worn in a variety of shoe types such as athletic, walking/running, work and some casual and dress shoes.
- Inserts are ordered by shoe size, no trimming is required
Make sure that your shoes are properly tied at all times so you can get the full support and stability that the shoes and orthotics have to offer.
Do You Want to Access a List of the Best Shoes for Supination?
I created a different article that describes the best shoes for women with supination. These shoes are also capable of accommodating orthotics, just make sure that you remove the original insoles of the shoes:
The Best Women’s Shoes for Supination – Let’s Improve The Way You Walk!
How to Tie Shoes with Orthotics – The Most Effective Way!
To get the full support and stability that your shoes and orthotics have to offer, you must make sure that the shoes are properly laced at all times. I suggest that you apply this specific lacing technique:
How to Tie Shoes for Women Who Wear Orthotics — It Takes 3 Easy and Simple Steps!
On a different note, if you are looking for shoe or orthotics recommendation for a little one in your family or a friend’s family, you can find helpful information on our partner website:
Please note that it’s always best to consult with a healthcare professional, such as a podiatrist or orthopedic specialist, who can provide a thorough evaluation of your condition and recommend the most suitable shoes and orthotics for your specific needs. They can take into account factors such as the severity of your supination, your foot structure, and any other underlying conditions you may have.
Thank you for reading! We hope you found helpful this post on the best orthotics for women with supination. Please feel free to share this post with your community on social media as well as your experiences in the comments section below. If you have any questions or need any further assistance, you can also contact us via e-mail and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
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