Mr. Buddha, what kind of orthotics do you use, and why?
I have a high arch and am slightly bow-legged. Before I had orthotics, I had problems with achilles tendinitis, stress fractures, etc. I ran in minimal, neutral shoes and was doing lots of stretching, weight lifting, etc.
I'm just not biomechanically perfect. I used to run around barefoot on the grass in summer as a kid, but I guess when you actually start to log mileage, and do dedicated running, problems start to show up. When your feet are even slightly "out of line", they can cause cascading effects all throughout your legs as your body tries to compensate.
I'm now on my third pair of orthotics (they last 4-5 years), and each time I've been analysed by a professional pedorthist.
My current pair have a 3/4 length hard plastic shell to support my arch, metatarsal pad up front for the ball of my foot, raised heel to support my achilles, and a full-length neoprene topcover.
Of course orthotics don't replace proper stretching and strengthening exercises (and I do a lot of those), but when those aren't enough, sometimes you need orthotics. I sometimes wonder if I'd be biomechanically perfect if I'd grown up in an African village, never having worn shoes.