The curve of the foot is very important as it allows the feet to carry the whole weight of the body, especially when the person is standing upright releasing all the weight to the body. Pronation and foot type can easily be determined by taking a “wet feet test.” There are many people who are born with the defect of low arch, meaning the curve in their feet is lesser than normal or in some cases absent at all. Low arched or flat footed people are more prone to injuries and face difficulties in running, as they put too much pressure of the body weight. However, all is not bleak for flat footed people as there are people like Shoaib Akhtar from the game of cricket who was the world’s fastest bowler and was the first one to cross 100 miles barrier. In order to minimize potential injury fat footed people should be careful while choosing their gear, especially the shoes.
Problem
The curve helps the feet to absorb body weight, but now in the absence of the curve the shoes need to take care of this aspect. During the process of running the feet have to raise their ability of absorbing pressure by approximately 3 times. Proper shoes are very important to choose to prevent injuries in feet, knees, hips and ankles. However, we are living in the era when the technology is very advanced. Professionals of the field have come up with dedicated running shoes for the flat footed people.
Solution
Stability shoes for flat footed individuals must provide stability and support to the feet must assist by motion control. Support is important for flat footed people and if the shoes provide added support, they must be preferred. stability in shoes industry refers to the ability of the shoes to sustain pressure and compensate for the missing ability of the flat footed people. Motion control is very useful aspect of stability shoes, but motion control shoes are recommended for the chronic and extreme pronation problem.
Stability Shoes
Stability shoes are provided with double density foam in the missing curved area of the foot. This gray colored (mostly) foam is visible in the stability shoes. Some renowned stability shoes available in the market are:
- Asics Kayano 17.
- Brooks Adrenaline GTS 9
- Mizuno Wave Inspire 7
- New Balance 1226.
- Nike Zoom Structure Triax+ 14
Motion Control shoes
Some renowned stability Motiona Control shoes available in the market are:
- Asics Evolution 6
- Brooks Beast 10
- Saucony Progrid Stabil CS