Which brand for arch support?

[Laliibeans]

Hi,

I'm buying my shoes soon so I have a bout a year to break them in, but my problem is that I have arthritis in my right foot and plantar faciitis as a result of this, so I'm looking for recommendations of brands which have reliable arch support.

I've heard the North Face Hedgehog series is good but on close inspection they seem quite flat. At home I wear Vibram Fivefingers a lot to keep my toes separated and build up my foot muscles. I'm not sure about these for a long trek though as they do need to be washed quite often.

I wear toe socks generally for the same reasons, to keep my toes separate (the arthritis crams most of them together when my foot bends). It's more the arch support I'm looking for.

I've seen "Superfeet" inserts mentioned a few times on here. Does anyone know if these are available in Australia? I've tried other inserts before but they tend to slip forward in my shoes and create more problems. I won't make it far if I have to stop every few minutes to adjust an insert!

So any recommendations for known brands with good arch support inbuilt would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I use these in all my shoes:

http://www.spenco.com/products/footcare ... T-Original

 

[Laliibeans]

Thanks for the link, I'll have to see if I can find them in Adelaide anywhere or order some online and try them out.

I've had a lot of trouble finding full length inserts, which is why they always slip forward. I'm not sure why it's been so difficult to find them!

 

[Laliibeans]

Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Buckeroo]

I have arthritis in my right foot and need extra arch support too, but I have seen a podiatrist about it. He has made me orthotics which I use to replace the insoles that come with the boots or shoes. They are full length so there is no problem with them slipping forward. I used these in my North Face mid boots for the full Camino without any problems. I saw him again just the other day for a check-up and we discussed my trip. He said he can make a pair using gel pads if I want but I'll see how I go for now in my new North Face boots. Got the Bibbulmun Track coming up in a couple of months. Worked for me but I know it's personal choice.

Good luck.
Grant.

 

[Laliibeans]

Thanks, Grant. I'm actually shopping around for a new podiatrist now, hopefully he'll have some good advice, too.

 

[Buckeroo]

Forgot to say that I showed the podiatrist the insert from my new North Face boots as they do have high arch support and are very comfortable. His opinion was that although good, it was not enough for my condition. Some time ago he also showed me a way to lace my boots that took a bit of pressure off the top of the foot produced by the extra arch support from below. It simply involves missing a lace hole about 1/2 way up; for me where the pain is.

I also tried a pair of those glove socks but it caused extra pressure on a big toe and I lost a nail as a result. Nothing new though as I'm always losing nails on long walks but that was just a day walk. One more thing, my health fund pays for the podiatrist (there is a gap though) and pays for one pair of orthotics a year. Good value I reckon.

Grant.

 

[Laliibeans]

Oh goodness! I thankfully never lost a nail, I just had huge problems with ingrown my big toenail getting ingrown for years until the podiatrist finally cut it open and ground it right back!

I should be seeing this new podiatrist (my old one moved to another state :cry: ) very soon so hopefully they'll be just as good. Unfortunately, my health fund only provides minimal coverage, but if I want to walk I'm going to have to deal with it.

 

[peregrina2000]

I know I've said this before on other posts but it's worth repeating, I think. If you have or hope to have custom-made orthotics, make sure your podiatrist knows that you are planning on walking for a month and on asphalt for a fair part of the time. Many custom made orthotics are made of hard plastic, and though they may cure your foot deformity they create a huge problem for your feet as they hit the ground. I had some of those, and after my first camino, I wound up with tarsal tunnel syndrome and had to be in a walking cast for 6 months. Since then, I've had silicone orthotics made and they are incredible and have not had (knock on wood) any more post-Camino foot crises. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Laliibeans]

Thanks, Peregrina. I was a bit concerned about that. When I had them as a kid my orthodics were quite hard and going hiking tended to leave bruises on my arches. I didn't even know until this thread that they could make silicone ones!

The wonders of technology...

It's encouraging to know that there are a few options available, and that people have walked this with similar problems and come out good at the end!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I have a pair of custom orthotics that are so hard that they are more painful than the junk insoles that come with most boots!

Orthotics generally change the angle of the ankle, so be sure to walk on them for several weeks before you go to the camino. The camino is the wrong place to be changing foot mechanics for the first time!

 

[peregrina2000]

Ahh, orthotics. I know there is a lot of literature out there that suggests we all ought to just throw them out and walk on our feet the way God made them. But if you're not going to opt for that, and if you have a foot problem that is not correctible with the standard inserts -- Spenco, etc etc, then you need custom made orthotics.

I think the the problem is that the average podiatrist is not an athlete or long distance walker. I had had my hard plastic orthotics and they served me very well for 20 years or so of adult life. That's because my hiking or long distance walking was limited to a couple of days at a time. I never had a problem with them till I walked the Camino. In retrospect, what was I thinking? How did I think my feet would enjoy banging onto a hard plastic surface thousands of times a day for a month? When I went back to my podiatrist after that first camino, his solution was for me to stop walking so much. That's a pretty good indication that he didn't "get it."

After shopping around from podiatrist to podiatrist I finally found one who offered the "silicone orthotic" solution. As I said, they have been tremendous. I have also endured rounds and rounds of health insurance appeals to get reimbursed. (they are not cheap, about $600). If that's an issue for people, I can go through it in great length but the short version is that in many "standard" health insurance plans, the coding for "medical equipment" is different than the coding for the standard hard plastic orthotic. The silicone orthotics, at least in my area, are only made by "medical equipment" people (typically those who do prosthetics, etc). Though my insurance paid without batting an eye year after year for my hard plastic orthotics, they initially rejected my silicone orthotics. So you may have an insurance battle ahead of you, but if you do, I will help you! It is well worth it.

I completely agree with falcon that you should wear your camino footwear a lot before setting out, not so much to break in your shoes (most hiking shoes/boots, etc don't need to be broken in like the leather ones did), but to get your feet accustomed to the new positioning. And yes, if you get new orthotics, make sure the boot/shoe you are going to wear them in is big enough for the orthotic, because orthotics are likely to make you size up, even more than the recommended sizing up to allow for daily foot expansion.

Good luck with this, Laliibeans. Laurie

 

[Laliibeans]

Thanks, Laurie. I'm not sure how I would have taken it if the podiatrist had suggested walking less! Where's the fun in that?

 

[Laliibeans]

Oh, wonderful! I'll give it a try.

I have a scar from the flesh coloured tape, but I've never tried any others. We'll see how this goes!