Are you flat-footed and have been experiencing foot or leg pain? Are you having a hard time finding a pair of walking shoes with arch and ankle support? First off, let’s start by describing what flat feet is. It is a condition caused by a postural deformity in which the arches of the foot collapse, hence having the entire sole of the foot coming into complete or almost complete contact with the ground. Moreover, when you have flat feet, you are putting pressure on parts of your body where you are not supposed to, and this can lead to foot, leg, and back pain.
Let’s take a look at a picture of a woman with flat feet standing barefoot. Does it look familiar?
Do you notice how the feet are turning inwards and collapsing when they are putting pressure on the floor? The good news is that if you wear a pair of supportive shoes, you can improve your posture considerably and walk and run straighter. So, the first step is to check the shoes that you are wearing. Something so simple such as wearing good supportive shoes might be all that you need and thus you can also improve your walking pattern. Let me prove it to you!
Let’s take a look at a picture of a woman with flat feet wearing a pair of unsupportive shoes. Do you notice how her feet are still collapsing and turning inwards?
Now let’s take a look at a picture of the same woman wearing a pair of supportive shoes. Do you notice how her feet are a lot straighter?
Something so simple such as wearing the correct type of shoes can make a tremendous difference in the way you walk and run. The key is to find a pair of walking shoes that come with a substantial sole that provides arch and ankle support. There are other features that the shoes must provide such as being deep (in case that we need to fit an orthotic for extra support), and the shoes must be lightweight and flexible (to prevent your feet and legs from easily getting tired).
It’s not easy to find shoes that provide extra depth because shoes don’t come labeled as “extra deep”. The good news is that I know which shoe styles are deeper and provide more support than others, and I will help you find them.
My Role in Fitting Women’s Shoes – Over a Decade of Shoe Fitting Experience
On a related note, did you know that one of the most popular forms of exercise in the United States is walking?
While walking is really good for you and it can improve your overall health and prevent you from certain diseases, you need to wear the right shoes for it, especially if you have flat feet.
Several brands provide splendid features, however, I am a firm believer that every shoe brand and most specifically every shoe style has unique qualities. These shoes have proven to reduce, or in some cases fully eliminate the pain that women were having.
Let me show you a selection of the best walking shoes for women with flat feet.
The Best Walking Shoes for Women with Flat Feet – The Most Effective Way to Improve your Posture!
Below you can find a selection of the New Balance and Asics shoes for women with flat feet. These are the best walking shoes for women with flat feet and that I have fitted before. Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links and we may receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you) when you click our links and make purchases.
- Available in narrow, medium, wide, and extra wide widths and also accommodate high insteps
- An ENCAP midsole combines lightweight foam with a durable polyurethane rim to deliver all-day support
- Dual-density collar foam that offers support and comfort for your heels and ankles
- Suede and mesh upper
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Available in narrow, medium, wide, and extra wide widths and also accommodates high insteps
- Cushioning outsole with a mild rocker adds spring to your step.
- Multiple cushioning layers provide pillow-like support that works wonders to enhance comfort and help ease pain on the foot and heel
- Soft, stretchable knit fabric uppers with extra foam padding ease pressure on the foot and provide superior comfort and protection for sensitive feet.
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Fits women with narrow or medium feet
- Rearfoot and Forefoot GEL Technology Cushioning System helps attenuate shock during impact and toe-off phases
- DuoMax system enhances stability and support
- Engineered mesh upper improves breathability
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your longest foot size
- Fits women with narrow or medium feet
- Durable full-length EVA midsole to absorb shock and offer stability
- Breathable open engineered textile mesh upper with seamless synthetic overlays
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths and also accommodates high insteps
- Fresh Foam midsole cushioning is precision engineered to deliver an ultra-cushioned, lightweight ride
- Medial post helps control pronation
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths and also accommodates high insteps
- Fresh Foam midsole cushioning is precision engineered to deliver an ultra-cushioned, lightweight ride
- Medial post helps control pronation
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Fits medium and wide feet and also accommodates high insteps
- VERSARUN cushioning absorbs impact and reduces pressure for comfortable strides at every level of walking and running
- Added heel support for a more comfortable, secure hold.
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Available in narrow, medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- DNA LOFT offers incredibly soft cushioning that now extends beyond the heel, allowing for an easy transition from landing to toe-off.
- Removable foam insole for excellent underfoot comfort and support.
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Fits women with narrow, medium, and wide feet
- Rearfoot and Forefoot GEL Technology Cushioning System helps attenuate shock during impact and toe-off phases
- DuoMax system enhances stability and support
- Order this shoe a whole size larger than your longest foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths and also accommodates high insteps
- CMEVA (Compression Molded EVA) midsole delivers lightweight, durable, responsive cushioning
- Strategic high-abrasion rubber zones to reduce weight
- Soft, stretchable knit fabric uppers with extra foam padding ease pressure on the foot and provide superior comfort and protection for sensitive feet
- Order this shoe half a size larger than your longest foot size
Keep in mind that shoes can run short, long, narrow, or wide, and depending on how they run you will need to adjust the size that you get for yourself.
What Shoe Size Should You Order?
Take a look at the description below the shoes that I recommended to find out what shoe size you should order.
Orthotics for Flat Feet – When the Shoes are not the Solution!
Bear in mind that in several instances a pair of shoes will not be enough to correct the problem and that you might need extra support. In this case, your physical or occupational therapist might also recommend an orthotic to be fitted inside the shoes for extra support.
An orthotic is a shoe insert that is specifically designed to provide support, cushioning, stability, and which at the same time attenuates the pressure on the foot. All of the shoe styles that I recommended above will accommodate an orthotic.
An orthotic can also make a tremendous difference in improving your posture by aligning your feet and legs. Let me prove it to you!
Let’s first take a look at a picture of a woman that is flat-footed standing barefoot. Do you notice how her feet are collapsing and turning inwards?
Now let’s take a look at a picture of the same woman standing up in a pair of orthotics. Do you notice how much straighter her feet are?
There is one particular orthotic that I have found to be the most effective one when it comes to helping women walk and run straighter:
- Medically approved insoles with targeted cushion right below the arch and heels
- Deep heel cup
- Built-in metatarsal raise
- Made from lightweight yet supportive Q-E.V.A. and cushioning, shock-absorbing forefoot and heel padding
- Provides relief from plantar fasciitis (heel pain and spurs), fallen arches, ball of foot pain, and other foot complaints
- Deep heel cup offers maximum support and shock absorption
- High density foam cushions the foot for long lasting comfort
- Stabilizer cap supports the rear foot
- These orthotic insoles help stabilize and relieve stress on feet, ankles and back, and work with your body for maximum foot support
This is one of the most supportive orthotics that I have fitted before offered at an amazing price of $36.
This orthotic will provide you with the 3 most important features that will keep your feet healthy:
- Arch support
- Ankle support
- Shock absorption
If you would like to provide shoes for your child with flat feet, there are two articles I wrote where I describe the best shoes for children with flat feet. Just click on the links below.
Best Toddler Shoes for Flat Feet – The Most Effective Way to Improve your Toddler’s Posture!
The Best Shoes for Kids with Flat Feet – STOP Your Kids Foot Pain!
Thank you for reading, we hope that you this post informative and helpful. 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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