Advice for fallen arches

Hello,

I have a fallen arch on my right foot which causes running issues on and off - four years ago I had pretty bad knee pain, but did some strength training and ironed it out. Recently I've had ankle issues which have been harder to get rid of.

I've been to see two physio's about this and they advise orthotics and wearing stiffer/more supportive shoes. Just wondered what other fell runners do in this situation? I currently wear Inov8 Talon 212's (and have done for years). I'm not keen on a higher drop because I mainly run off-trail (mountain marathon type terrain).

And people seem split on orthotics, saying they can create "lazy feet". I have recently been trying some Sofsol inners, which seem to be helping, but they make my shoes so small that they're causing other issues!

For info, my normal training runs are 10-15km, twice a week. Once a month I do something longer (30km ish, mountainous). I'm a bit rubbish at keeping up with strengthening exercises, but do try every few days.

Any advice on shoes, insoles and orthotics would be greatly received!

H

I’m in a similar position. I’ve always had quite flat feet and my ankles roll around a lot,especially on rough terrain. I wear either Mudclaws or Talons depending on how my feet are feeling.

It never used to be an issue, but recently I’ve had a lot of ankle issues and PF type issues with both feet. Let me know if you find a solution! My current solution is ignore and pretend it’s not a problem!

Just my twopenneth-

I think this is a gait issue. During your mid-stride assuming you land on your forefoot, your heel kisses the floor before taking off again as the stored energy in your calf starts to do its work. At this point your big toe should press down and raise the arch of your foot before you spring off the forefoot to take off. Arch raises may help, but you have to do them right, a podiatrist will show you how.

Thanks for the advice. Physio has me on heel lifts and toe digs. I guess I will just wait and see if that works!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by HeatherR

Thanks for the advice. Physio has me on heel lifts and toe digs. I guess I will just wait and see if that works!

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Toe digs have to be done right: Just the big toe and don't curl it up, when you press down the toe should flatten itself into the carpet and your arch should raise. If you're doing all toes then ok, but the flattening part still applies.