This one will no doubt be controversial, and we welcome your comments if you find otherwise. However, we’re pretty hard headed on this topic and can pretty much guarantee (no guarantees) there’s a better (and much cheaper) way to solve your run pains than to get yourself some orthotics or supportive insoles. This is first hand experience as well as some very convincing proof found in not-so mainstream Ultrarunning literature. As triathletes, we’re obviously not ultrarunners, but the debate on whether or not orthotics are useful is definitely worth talking about.
Our findings: they are most definitely a hindrance and cause for further injury. If anything good, they are simply a temporary band-aid to a problem that could be solved permanently through smarter training practices. Issues like IT band syndrome, Plantar Fasciitis, Stress Fractures, Knee Pains ARE NOT taken care of through the use of orthotics and supportive insoles, the problem will be simply deferred elsewhere…sometimes taking as much as a year to materialize into bigger problems.
We’ve found that by strengthening our feet and working on proper run form all of our worries and pains have disappeared (Knock on wood). Stay tuned to Ironmantriathlontips.com to find out how.
I’ve had so many problems with orthotics. I’m still looking for something that works properly.
I naturally walk with one foot tilted out. When I walk, I duck walk with one foot and twist it back straight before pushing off. In running, this has caused a problem. Now, I did not have a problem when I was younger….. more resiliant and 160 lbs. when wet. Know, I am older,(36 years old), less resiliant, and 190 lbs. If I was lighter and concentrated on my run stride…. I am sure it would help as that is the root of the problem. But, I have found that orthotics alone were not an answer. But, someone who knows orthotics was. I had a really good guy make my orthotics in Wisconsin and he would watch me run in them and adjust the orthotics by placing additional material under the orthotic that forced my foot into the proper gait and run stride. After running over and over, I find myself walking straighter as my body gets use to the movement. Orthotics alone with only added instep arch support is probably not the answer alone.
Thanks for sharing this information! The more useful and knowledgeable information out there the better. Please consider custom orthotics for treating foot pain in cases of flat feet or high arched individuals.
Dr. Michael Horowitz, Vancouver Orthotics
I agree with Jamie above, orthotics alone are not the answer, but being treated properly with orthotics is. Avoid pediatrists and use physical therapists. PTs are a whole lot cheaper and they only prescribe orthotics as one aspect of their treatment. A good PT will give you a thorough bio-mechanical exam to determine whether your problem should be treated with different shoes, exercises, or orthotics. In addition, they will do follow-up appointments to ensure fit and comfort for orthotic patients.
There is a company called EdenFeet Soles that invented a revolutionary marathon orthotic, specifically designed for high mileage runners. You would have to find a PT in your area to prescribe them, but they are WONDERFUL. Just the ticket for high-milage runners.
There are so many reasons orthotics don't work. Improper casting, poor lab work, poor orthotic-shoe combinations, wrong adjustments both intrinsically and extrinsically, etc. Gait analysis being an incredibly complex event, makes creating a good foot orthotic not an easy task. Therefore, many bad orthotics are made that can make situations worse then they already are. Orthotics were never meant to permanently correct biomechanical faults, but support them just as prescription eyewear doesn't permanently correct vision. There's no question that foot orthoses have helped thousands of people, including athletes in all categories. A blanket statement that states to avoid orthotics is a ridiculous, ignorant suggestion.