Watch How You Walk: Understanding Your Arch Type

We all lead very busy lives, running from work and school, to activities with kids, and more. For all we accomplish, we owe a great deal of thanks to our feet. We all know that our feet play perhaps the biggest role in our movement. However, did you know that the shape of your foot arch can affect the way you walk? If you don’t understand your arch type, you might be putting unnecessary strain on your feet. In this blog, we’ll talk about how to identify your arch type and how it might be affecting your foot health.

Know Your Type

Discovering your arch shape is easy. To do this test at home you just need some water and a piece of cardboard big enough to take a few steps on. Complete the test by:

• Wetting the bottoms of your feet

• Taking a few steps on the cardboard

• Examining the foot prints left behind

If your wet foot print has just a small sliver connecting your toes to your heel, then you have high arches. If your foot print seems to be solid all the way through, then you have low arches.

Watch Your Step

The shape of your arch affects the way your foot interacts with the ground as you step. You need to support your specific arch type to avoid injury. Therefore, it’s important to wear shoes and custom orthotics that match your unique foot shape. Properly supporting you arches mean avoiding injuries like:

• Heel pain or plantar fasciitis

• Achilles tendonitis

• Complications from flat feet

• Wounds cause by unnecessary friction on arches

To truly know your arch type, you need to have your feet evaluated by a foot doctor. Dr. David Sullivan is a board-certified podiatrist and wound specialist based in Westfield, Indiana. If you’re in the Hamilton County area, visit Westfield Foot and Ankle today. Make an appointment online or call (317) 896-6655 to speak with a member of the staff.