Running shoes for flat feet and high arches: what matters

Related guides

• Inner ankle · An arch that is flattening, or pain along the inner ankle.
• Outer ankle · High arches with ankle sprains or outer ankle pain.
• Shin splints · Pain along the inner edge of the shin.

Before you change shoes

A shoe is one of several things that load this area, and usually not the biggest. Before or alongside a shoe change, look at how much you run, how fast, how hilly, and whether anything changed recently. If your current shoes are comfortable and not worn out, you may not need new ones.

What helps more than the shoe: For feet without pain, nothing needs fixing: in a study of 927 new runners in neutral shoes, those with moderately flat feet were not injured more often than the rest. If your feet hurt, treat the painful area; the guides for the inner ankle, outer ankle, shin and heel describe what helps there. (Nielsen 2014)

Free exercise guide by physiotherapists at E3 Rehab: You don't need to fix your flat or pronated feet. We are not affiliated with E3 Rehab, and they have not reviewed this page.

What loads it

What to look for in a shoe

Comfort and a stable base, whatever your foot type

A base that is wide for its height is harder to tip over in either direction. Researchers have proposed that the shoe that feels most comfortable tends to suit how you move; that is a proposal, not a proven rule.

Flat feet that roll in a lot: a stability shoe is worth trying

In one trial, runners given motion-control shoes were injured less often, mainly those with flat feet; in another, motion-control shoes caused more pain. Try one if it feels comfortable, not because of a footprint test.

High arches: cushioning and a neutral shoe

The usual advice is a cushioned, neutral shoe, because a stiff foot absorbs less of the landing itself. In military trials, recruits with high arches given cushioned shoes were injured no less than those given a stability shoe; the preference rests on comfort and experience.

Room and depth

High-arched feet often need more height over the instep, and flat feet are often wider. Check that the laces do not press on top of the foot, and compare the inside widths on shoe pages.

Where the load goes

A stability shoe resists the foot rolling in and can ease the inner ankle and arch, but may push the foot towards its outer edge. A tall, soft, neutral shoe cushions a stiff, high-arched foot but tips more easily, which matters if you sprain your ankle.

What to be careful with

• Choosing a shoe from a wet footprint or an arch test alone: shoes matched to arch height did not lower injuries in military trials.
• Swapping between a firm stability shoe and a soft neutral shoe in the same weeks as more mileage.
• Very soft, tall, narrow shoes if you sprain your ankle easily.

Terrain

Best

Whatever you run on now; foot type alone is no reason to avoid a surface.

Be careful with

Cambered roads and off-camber trails if one foot rolls in a lot; technical trails if you have high arches and a history of sprains.

Trail

A trail shoe with a wide base and good grip suits both; with high arches and repeated sprains, see the outer ankle guide.

Combine the shoe with

Foot, calf and balance exercises

Common advice for a flat foot that tires or aches, alongside any shoe change.

Inserts

Off-the-shelf arch supports are a cheap way to see whether more support feels better; a firm or posted insert inside a stability shoe can be too much.

A brace or tape

For high arches with repeated ankle sprains, especially on trails; a physiotherapist can advise.

Check in the shop

• Bend the shoe: it should bend at the ball of the foot (or barely at all, for a stiff big toe or forefoot pain), never in the middle.
• Twist it: it should resist.
• Press the heel counter with your thumb: it should not collapse.
• Length and width: about a thumb's width beyond the longest toe, and the widest part of your foot over the widest part of the sole.
• Try shoes later in the day, in your running socks and with any insert you use.
• Judge comfort over a few real runs, including some at your usual pace, not only in the shop.

What the research shows

Each point says whose evidence it is: runners, walking, a clinical group not studied while running, or mechanical reasoning that has not been tested.

• Foot type and injuryRunning evidence

  In 927 new runners in neutral shoes followed for a year, moderately flat (pronated) feet were not injured more often than neutral feet after 250 km, and had fewer injuries per 1,000 km; too few had very flat feet to judge. A review of 21 studies found a flat foot to be a small risk factor for shin splints (strong evidence) and possibly kneecap pain (very limited evidence), with no link to other injuries. (Nielsen 2014; Neal 2014)

• Choosing shoes by arch heightRunning evidence

  In three military trials with about 7,200 recruits, giving motion-control, stability or cushioned shoes by arch height did not lower injuries compared with giving everyone a stability shoe. (Knapik 2014)

• Stability and motion-control shoesRunning evidence

  In 372 recreational runners, those given the motion-control version of a shoe were injured less often than those given the standard version; in a secondary analysis the benefit was seen only in runners with flat feet. In 81 women training for a half marathon, motion-control shoes caused the most pain, and the authors called prescribing by foot type overly simplistic. (Malisoux 2016; Ryan 2011)

• Comfort as a filterMechanical reasoning, not tested

  Researchers have proposed that runners who choose the most comfortable shoe tend to pick one that suits how they move. It is a proposal from a review, not a tested rule. (Nigg 2015)

• Cushioning for high archesMechanical reasoning, not tested

  The advice follows from a stiffer foot absorbing less of the landing itself. We found no trial of shoes for high-arched runners.

Not known

• Whether very flat feet face a higher injury risk in neutral shoes.
• Which shoes suit high-arched runners.

Switching to these shoes: weeks 1–6

A common way to introduce a new shoe, as a rule of thumb rather than a tested plan:

Weeks 1–2

One or two short, easy runs a week in the new shoe; the rest in your current pair.

Weeks 3–4

If the mornings after are no worse, about half of your easy runs.

Weeks 5–6

Long runs, then faster sessions.

Bigger changes take longer: a drop 4 mm or more lower, 10 mm or more of stack difference, a first plated shoe, much more toe spring (a strongly rockered shoe), or zero drop, which can take months. In one study, more than half the runners who moved to minimalist (barefoot-style) shoes, gradually over 10 weeks, showed early bone stress in the foot on scans. (Ridge 2013)

• Do not change shoes in the same weeks as you increase mileage or speed.
• Do not race in a shoe you have not run in several times, including at race pace.

For this area: Moving into or out of a stability shoe changes how the foot is loaded; some runners notice the arch or the outside of the knee in the first runs. Build up over the weeks below.

How big is your change? Compare your current shoe with a new one

Keeping more than one pair in use was linked to fewer injuries in an observational study of recreational runners. (Malisoux 2015) Use the list as a shortlist of a few shoes to try on, then let comfort decide: researchers have proposed that runners choosing the shoe that feels most comfortable tend to pick one that suits how they move. That is a proposal, not a proven rule. (Nigg 2015)