RESOURCES HOME SHOE TERMS HOME

You're currently on:

Arch - Arches

The arch is the area of the foot between the heel and the ball. It is curved (thus the reason for the name), and some feet have varying degrees of curvature which may affect the way they walk and the shoes that they are able to wear comfortably. The term arch also refers to the curved part of a shoe's insole, which is meant to support the shape of the foot's arch. The shape of a person's arch impacts the level of pronation in the foot. The shoe industry categorizes the differences in curvature in three ways:

  • High arch
  • Normal arch
  • Low arch or flatfooted

The type of arch a person has can be determined by a wet test. After wetting the foot with water or ink, the person should stand normally on a paper bag in order to leave their footprint. A person with a high arch will show only a very thin line connecting the toes to the heel and they are more likely to underpronate. A person with a normal arch will show a band that is slightly less than half of the width of the foot in the wet test and will have a neutral stride. A person with a low arch (flatfooted) will show almost the entire foot in the wet test and is likely to overpronate.
The arches in running shoes, as mentioned before, are meant to support the shape of the person's arch and come in three shapes:

  • Straight
  • Curved
  • Semi-curved

People with a low arch should wear orthotics or a motion control shoe, which prevents the foot from rolling too far over (overpronation) and causing an injury. People with a normal arch should look for a stability shoe or a semi-curved shape, which are highly cushioning yet stabilizing. People with a high arch should look for a highly cushioned and curved shaped shoe to absorb shock. Athletes and runners should be especially careful when choosing shoes to ensure that they are picking the right shoe for their foot type to avoid sports-related injuries and inefficient performance due to improper support