Your feet are as unique as you are, and finding solutions that prevent foot pain and improve your foot health will have a positive impact on your whole body. Your feet work hard to support you every day, and this can take a toll on them as well as on your general health.
Did you know that you have 26 bones in each foot, as well as more than a hundred tendons, ligaments and muscles? These work together to keep you active, and it is not surprising that a small misalignment can cause significant issues. When the feet are unbalanced or do not have enough support, problems such as back and knee pain are more common, and custom insoles provide a tailor-made solution that keeps your feet and body comfortable.
Off-the-Shelf Insoles: Yay or Nay?
Insoles and orthotics are shaped to fit inside footwear and offer more support to the ‘average’ foot. These can be bought over the counter, and some are designed to be cut to size to suit your shoes. Additional padding in your shoes can increase your comfort level, and you may find that the extra support these devices offer makes a small difference to the way your feet feel. However, we know that ‘average’ does not take into account the unique shape and contours of your feet, and these options are unlikely to provide the tailored support and cushioning that custom-made orthotics do.
Your feet will reflect your genetics as well as your life experiences, and the way you move and exercise will have a big impact on the health of your feet, as well as your general health. The shape of the feet includes a huge variation in arch height and foot length, and these variations will determine the way your feet move and feel. Small differences can create serious problems, and a generic insole is not equipped to correct this. It is also important to consider the way your feet move when you are running or walking, including the way your feet strike the ground and whether your feet roll inwards or outwards when you move.
Why Customise Your Insoles?
Custom-made orthotics adjust the way your feet fit inside your shoes, providing tailored support for your unique foot shape. A custom-made orthotic ensures a perfect fit and maximises the beneficial effect. Because the shape is customised for you, it can correct issues such as flat feet and overpronation, where the feet roll inwards as you walk. This can help to spread the body weight evenly throughout the feet and alleviate pain in the feet, legs, hips and back.
Custom-made orthotics offer a superior level of adjustment to over-the-counter orthotics, and these are very effective in treating and relieving conditions such as plantar fasciitis and shin splints, where the pain is caused by uneven pressure in the feet. By providing cushioning where you need it the most, custom-made orthotics can improve alignment and correct imbalances in the feet, and this is great news for your general health, too.
The Custom-made Approach
Custom orthotics are made from high-quality, durable materials that will last much longer than the rubber or silicone options bought over the counter, and can be designed for all types of shoes. If you are used to spending a lot of time on your feet, for work or while you are exercising, for instance, your feet will come under a great deal of pressure, and custom-made orthotics can ensure that this is spread evenly through the feet.
When we are creating custom-made orthotics, we carry out a foot assessment to identify any areas in need of extra support, and we will take the time to understand your lifestyle and the ways in which this impacts your feet and your general health. We know that keeping your feet in good shape can enable you to stay mobile and active, and this is extremely beneficial for your general health and longevity.
A foot assessment with one of our trained professionals at Foot Solutions gives us valuable information to create solutions that support your feet and relieve foot, leg and back pain. We will identify issues such as overpronation or supination, the opposite condition where the feet roll outwards, and we will take into account the way your existing shoes have worn. Wear patterns in certain areas can indicate variations in the foot structure and alignment, and custom insoles can balance these to support the feet more effectively.
A gait assessment can be a helpful tool in understanding the way your feet work when you walk or run, and this can show us the areas of the feet that come under stress and will benefit from extra support. 3-D foot scans are used to map the feet precisely, identifying the contours of the feet and the way your body weight is distributed through them.
Why Choose Custom Insoles?
Custom insoles are designed to reduce the pressure on your feet and to ensure that your shoes provide the comfort and support you need. They can:
- Make you feel more comfortable. Custom-made insoles will provide cushioning where your feet need it most, so that you feel better, however long you are wearing them for.
- Align your feet correctly. It is easy for minor alignment issues to cause major problems, and custom-made insoles can prevent this by improving alignment, supporting the arches and correcting any imbalances in the feet. They can provide excellent arch support, for instance, where fallen arches have been causing pain and aching in the feet, back and legs.
- Address the cause of pain. Many common foot conditions, including plantar fasciitis and shin splints, can cause intense pain and interrupt your training regimen. However, custom-made insoles can provide the balance and support you need to reduce pain and heal from existing conditions by redistributing the weight more effectively throughout the feet.
- Enhance your performance. Custom-made insoles can even help you towards your goals when you are walking, running or working out, since they are designed to optimise the way your feet move, and this will give you a better chance of success.
- Prevent injuries. Injuries that affect the joints, ligaments and tendons of the feet are common, especially amongst runners, and custom-made insoles can help to prevent these by providing a better balance and a safer foot position.
Custom-made insoles are a good solution because they adapt the position of the foot itself, and this can be felt throughout the body. Better alignment leads to a more comfortable experience of moving throughout your daily life, and this is a very positive step in taking control of your health and wellbeing.
Book a Foot Assessment at Foot Solutions
If you are experiencing foot pain or simply want to take better care of your feet, we can help. Come in and see us in your local store or book an appointment online for your free foot assessment – your feet will thank you!
