HIGH ARCH runners unite! How do you avoid injury?

I know you already mentioned orthodics, but I went to a podiatrist and got custom made orthodics and it really seemed to help me. And my arch is pretty much as high as they get, but i guess i can't compare the rest of my body to somebody elses.

Possibly other body mechanics contributing to injuries as well?

I've had high arched feet all my life, and have the following guidelines to make sure my feet stay healthy.

#1- Never use arch supports!

The insoles of my shoes must be flat, giving room for my feet to function as intended.

#2- Plenty of room at the tops of the shoes.

If any part of the shoes is tight across the tops of my arches, I don't get them.

#3- Flexibility and room in the forefeet of the shoes.

It is difficult to find good running shoes that fit properly, with a good simple fit and no gimmicks. Shoes were much better in the mid 1970's, the peak of distance running and marathon performances in this country.

same here. The custom made ones really helped me out. You just have to make sure that insurance covers them because they aren't cheap. The last pair I just had made cost my insurance about 500 bucks.

I have high arches and I run all my mileage in flats or barefoot... Haven't been injured since doing this.

nublet wrote:

I have high arches and I run all my mileage in flats or barefoot... Haven't been injured since doing this.

The same for me.

I always run barefoot when the surface is suitable.

J.R. wrote:

I've had high arched feet all my life, and have the following guidelines to make sure my feet stay healthy.

#1- Never use arch supports!

The insoles of my shoes must be flat, giving room for my feet to function as intended.

#2- Plenty of room at the tops of the shoes.

If any part of the shoes is tight across the tops of my arches, I don't get them.

#3- Flexibility and room in the forefeet of the shoes.

It is difficult to find good running shoes that fit properly, with a good simple fit and no gimmicks. Shoes were much better in the mid 1970's, the peak of distance running and marathon performances in this country.

I agree with #2 and #3, but I also need a bit of support. Nothing too heavy handed, but I like a neutral shoe with a high arch. It really depends on footstrike, though, IMO.

I have high arches and cavus foot.

Training in racing flats has caused my PF. I've had it for years. I agree that 1970's running shoes were better.

I have a very stiff left achilles and a spur at the base of the achilles behind, not underneath, the calcaneus.

The 3rd Podiatrist and my Physical Therapists all say NO FLATS. I'm do specialty exercises (aimed at the hip flexor AND hammies plus the arches).

This will be my last go through to try and clear this up.

If I don't succeed I switch to biking so I don't wind up crippled.

Many thanks for all replies thus far.

The athlete in question has said that when he runs he feels he is either right on his forefoot/toes or on his heels.

He feels there is nothing in between i.e. he has no midfoot because of his high arches.

When he runs on his forfoot his heel does not touch the ground even at moderate paces. However I do not want him to be a heel striker as I think this will seriously compromise his style.

Is this common for high arch runner?

Bump

after really bad plantar faciitis, finally got orthotics to cushion my arches and had no problems thereafter. I pronated, too.

I have high arches and plantar faciatus and orthodics. Nothing had bothered me until my 30's. The (my) key problem was stiff quads hams and calves. It is off the utmost importance for the high arched runner to strecth before and after running. I found this out to late and it ruined my running/racing career.

I have pretty high arches, and the only real problem i have is occasional sprains of the MTP joints. Kind of a weird injury, but one that I can train through, so i consider myself pretty lucky.

[quote]CBA wrote:

I am coaching a 21 year old athlete with a very high arched foot. It seems his foot structure is causing all sorts of lower limb injuries: shin splints, PF, weak ankles and most recently achilles problems."

All of what you will read above is only relevant to each of those individuals.

As your athlete runs toward you, are their hips abducted?

Can their foot compensate to 90 degrees? Hows the dorsiflexion?

Do you attempt recovery-mechanic drills to wrap the feet beneath the athlete?

If the athlete is rotating heavily and quickly across the ball of the foot- then of course you will have gastroc tightness as a result of the movement.

A Pes Cavus Foot in most cases caused the forefoot to be slightly varus- the subtalor joing would be somewhat over "supinated" upon footstrike assuming they are indeed a forefoot striker. Of course there will be achilles problems if the athlete is loading the forefoot during the stance phase to propulsion phase (a quick unstable heavy rotation acrosst the ball of the foot).

The PF is likely just from the foot pronating- with a lack of adjustment from the posterior tib- something has to give. Therefore the dick littles above throwing around shoe advice are absolutely wrong. Try a shoe with a medial forefoot wedge. (NB 1223) Or just take the kid and get him orthotics with a medial forefoot wedge.

Also- pick up a book. Stay off the message boards for orthopod advice. It will prolong a resolution.

The half-assed advice tossed around by know-it-alls in regard to foot problems is "hilarious".

Exactly. In old race photos you can see my left foot twists while in contact with the ground prior to pushoff. The right one is pretty much straighforward. I have a short left leg, they found out. That's the side I have had all my problems with.

The PT said I had an unusual footstrike, on the extreme outside edge of my foot. People who used to run with me hated to be behind me.

One guys always used to complain:

"Just watching your foot strike makes me hurt. How can you run like that?".

I have high arches and custom made orthodics, and although they help with everyday life, they don't help very much with sports.

Weigh less than a buck 20.

High arches here. I run flat and flexi shoes or barefoot on sand. If I knew this approach would be best for me I would have done it from day one. Big bulky shoes are horrid for high arches.

i think it might be his shoes i have arches so high i cant see them with those dr.sholes machines and if my feet are wet you can see the arch imprint on concrete but i have never had any problems (knock on wood) i think that its his shoes so he might want to try a different kind of shoe

I've experienced such intense foot pain that in the past I had to curtail my gardening activities. These shoes have given me back my gardening life. I can now stand again for hours without discomfort. Orthofeet are definitely not the most attractive shoes I've ever had, but they are qualitatively the most comfortable walking shoe I've ever put my feet into. The shoes were true to size, and were "out of the box" comfortable the first time I put them on.