Running Shoes for High Arches

[d4mo]

I want to get into doing outdoor running. Hopefully a 5k this summer I've never purchased running shoes before(most running I did was in highschool in basketball shoes.) I went to a local sporting goods store and they had this computer that connected to something you step on, and it tells you shoe size, etc. It said I had very high arches. On the picture the my heel touches and the front of my foot and my toes. Nothing on the middle of my foot even showed up.

I asked the person that helped me, and she said I could basically get any shoe I wanted as long as it didn't say it was for low arches. Since my arches are so high, that arch support wouldn't help me at all.

So I guess what I'm asking is, was she right? I read somethings on the net saying people with high arches need alot of cushion.

What I kinda like at the Nike Free Run 2's. I've read conflicting things about arches and these shoes, but the lady said they would be great for me. Whats the truth?

 

[pandemonium]

To relate - though I've never actually had the term "high arched foot" thrown at me - my feet have the same build. I've recently finally updated my running shoes to Under Armour's Micro G Split Running shoes. The cushioning is incredible and the weight is nearly non-existent. For $90, these are the best pair of shoes I've ever owned.

I'm not a runner, per se, but I have sprinted, played football (friendly, not professional) for 2-3 hours, and constantly wear them for general use.

When I went shopping around, trying on different pairs, I did like how some of the Nike's felt, but I think I remember them being more expensive, and honestly, I'm not a big Nike fan. Personal choice when it came down to it, but I'm pretty happy with my decision on the UAs. I originally got hooked with UA on their line of cold gear for when I go mountain biking and it's sub-50°F. It worked so well that I decided to give their footwear a try and was thoroughly impressed. ^^

Buy whatever then return it if you're not satisfied. You can always go to Dick's and try it out on their circle track. I did that and felt silly for running around inside on a miniature track, but it definitely helped me decide.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Well, the thing is that no shoe is actually going to support a high arched foot very well. The foot itself is a biomechanical disadvantage for things like running (or anything that requires shock absorption). Get a shoe that's comfortable. If you find you start to have foot, ankle, knee, or hip pain, you should probably quit momentarily and see someone about it. You might be a good candidate for orthotics or physical therapy (they can mobilize your foot to move more).

 

[ZOOYUKA]

Go to your local running store and be properly fitted. You will thank yourself. I promise.

 

[SWScorch]

Go to your local running store and be properly fitted. You will thank yourself. I promise.

Agreed. I've been running for 12 years and worked in a running store for a year, so I can vouch that going to an actual running store (not a sporting goods store) and getting your gait and feet analyzed is the best way. I always thought I overpronated and wore stability shoes and was always injured. I just thought I wasn't cut out for running. One year my friends convinced me to go to a Fleet Feet and they told me I don't pronate in the slightest and was wearing the wrong type of shoes. I haven't been injured since. During the time that I worked in that store (about 5 years later), this point was further cemented as people would come in being unable to run, and just by having them wear shoes that were designed with their biomechanics in mind, they could go out and run a marathon. Since everyone's foot is different, there is no way of recommending a shoe, even if you tell us that you have high arches, because you could still pronate, or could need a shoe with extremely soft cushioning, and the shape of your foot (narrow heel, wide forefoot, etc) plays a huge role too. If you are really serious, find a Fleet Feet or similar specialty running shop and have them analyze your feet and recommend some shoes.

 

[deadken]

Go to your local running store and be properly fitted. You will thank yourself. I promise.

Well stated. I bought a set of shoes from a big store and thought they were fine when I tested them in the store. Once I started running on the street, they really weren't right for me.

I then went to a running store, and when the saleslady helped me, she suggested that I try a set out. I again tried running around in the store. She then directed me to go outside and 'run like I run'. It was the best advice I've ever gotten. Low and behold, they felt good, but not great because the heel was loose. She gave me two more pairs to try out, and when I didn't care for either, she gave me a set that seemed to be the exact same as the first set. I got a little suspicious, and asked if these weren't the same shoes that I first tried and she told me that they were. But, she had re-laced them while I was trying out the other sets. Wow, what a difference! They were the best set I tried that day.

All in all, it's hard to beat the experience found in a store that caters to runners.

 

[bononos]

Well, the thing is that no shoe is actually going to support a high arched foot very well. The foot itself is a biomechanical disadvantage for things like running (or anything that requires shock absorption)......

That seems to be the thinking of those in the health industry with a big I. The foot to them is a reptilian throwback and never managed to evolve to the needs of modern human beings let alone our homo sapiens ancestors.

OTOH there are highly credentialed people who think the human body is more than capable of running barefoot for long distances when properly conditioned. Lannana's team at Stanford trains barefoot and they don't wear fancy Nike's despite Nike sponsorship - an amazing thing considering they think top of the line Nike's is no better than barefoot.

 

[SWScorch]

That seems to be the thinking of those in the health industry with a big I. The foot to them is a reptilian throwback and never managed to evolve to the needs of modern human beings let alone our homo sapiens ancestors.

OTOH there are highly credentialed people who think the human body is more than capable of running barefoot for long distances when properly conditioned. Lannana's team at Stanford trains barefoot and they don't wear fancy Nike's despite Nike sponsorship - an amazing thing considering they think top of the line Nike's is no better than barefoot.

This is where things can get interesting. First of all, it needs to be pointed out that the Stanford team does not run barefoot all the time, not do all of the runners frolic about unshod. Their coach, Vin Lananna, had them run a couple days a week barefoot on soft grass fields for a few miles at a time, but they wear shoes for the majority of their training. Which I actually think is perfect: humans are definitely meant, designed, evolved, to run barefoot. But we're not meant to run barefoot on pavement or concrete. Running barefoot on grass or soft dirt is the way humans have been running for millennia, but anything harder (e.g. asphalt and concrete) is too hard for our feet to run on without cushioning.

Also, feet that have high, rigid arches do lack the natural shock absorption features, namely, pronation. When you run, your arch is supposed to collapse upon impact, which absorbs a lot of the shock, but when the arch doesn't collapse, that impact travels up through the legs into the hips and back. I have the same problem, which is why I still like shoes that have a decent amount of cushioning, even while preferring more minimalist shoes. I still run barefoot on grass though a few times a week when the weather is nice, but when I'm on the roads, I need some cushion.

 

[bononos]

Totally agree with you that human are perfectly capable of running barefoot on natural surfaces and shoes are a necessary concession on cement/concrete unlike those in the industry of selling things - be it expensive trainers or medical services. I only read about Lananna's team in Born to Run and I didn't mean to imply they spent all their time barefoot.

 

[d4mo]

I know I should go to a running store and get my gait looked at etc. I just don't want to get and then be expected to pay for their overpriced shoes.

 

[surfsatwerk]

I know I should go to a running store and get my gait looked at etc. I just don't want to get and then be expected to pay for their overpriced shoes.

That's short sighted thinking. If you find a shoe that meets your needs, then it is worth every cent you pay for it. I don't even look at price tags anymore I just sit down and start trying everything on.

 

[ZOOYUKA]

I know I should go to a running store and get my gait looked at etc. I just don't want to get and then be expected to pay for their overpriced shoes.

Their prices are usually fairly close if not the same to what you would pay for the same shoe at other retailers. They will not have some $30 bargain "running shoe" that was never intended for running if that is the type of shoe you are looking for. Also, you usually get great service at these type of places.

A good pair of running shoes will last a long time if you keep them exclusively for running. Your running experience will be much more enjoyable and you will more likely stick to it if you have a good pair of shoes.

 

[Sunny129]

another vote for Fleet Feet. i'll spare you my long-winded story about my struggles to find the right running shoe...suffice it to say i always used to be injured too b/c i was not wearing the right shoe. Fleet Feet fixed that for me.