For someone with low arches or outright flat feet, habitual shoe-wearing often exacerbates the problem due to weak feet (see Q8). Additionally, forcing feet into shoes with arch supports against their natural shape can be uncomfortable and sometimes painful.
In contrast, going barefoot strengthens the ligaments and tendons in the feet and helps to counter low arches or flat feet. Some barefooters have reported that, once they started going barefoot regularly, their arches raised almost if not entirely to "normal" levels.
Why do many podiatrists push arch supports and corrective footwear? Part of it has to do with what they were taught; but, just because something is in a textbook doesn't make it right or necessary. Many people tend to want perfect bodies: perfect faces, noses, buns, etc., and this tendency can extend to feet which equates to high arches. Many podiatrists are merely catering to this tendency.
Bottom line: If you can walk barefoot and it doesn't hurt, don't worry about it. (If it does hurt, however, do see a podiatrist.)
Given the above, if you still care whether you really have flat feet or not, you can use the following figure to make the determination. It is adapted from "The Influence of Footwear on the Prevalence of Flat Foot," The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 74B(4), 1992, pp. 525-527.
If the width of the instep (AB) at its widest part is less than 1cm,
the foot is considered as flat (right).
If the width of the footprint at its narrowest part (BC) is less than 1cm,
the arch is considered high (center).
All other footprints are considered "normal" (left).
Is it actually healthyto go barefoot? |
How can I get myfeet in shape? |