By Nikhita Mahtani and Sara Coughlin
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It’s beyond frustrating when you buy shoes you really like only to realize they don’t provide enough support. Luckily, looking into the best insoles for flat feet can help level up your footwear. Because, whether you’ve had flat feet all your life or developed fallen arches as the result of injury or pregnancy, it’s important for your shoes to fit and feel good. We spoke with podiatrists to learn more about how to find the best insoles for flat feet and selected the very best options based on their recommendations and criteria.
The experts we spoke to mentioned the following features as key elements for a high-quality insole. We referred to them when making our selections.
There’s a great range of over-the-counter (OTC) insoles for flat feet on the market right now. To help narrow down your search, check out our top picks below, selected according to podiatrists’ recommendations.
Green High Arch Orthotic Support Insoles
Erik Sims, DPM, managing partner at Sims & Associates Podiatry in New York, recommends Superfeet’s insoles for their semirigid design and deep heel cup, both of which help keep feet stable and comfy all day long. The popular Green insole is made to be particularly supportive. It’s thick with a firm level of cushioning that won’t feel too squishy, and the high arch provides a nice amount of lift. Several reviewers with flat feet noted that the arch felt great and alleviated some of their foot pain, but you may also want to start with a pair that has a lower arch to see what suits your feet better.
Flat Feet Arch Support Insoles
Walkomfy’s Flat Feet insole stabilizes and aligns the base of your foot thanks to its unique design, which provides targeted support to different parts of the foot: The heel is padded with a springy foam to reduce shock, while the arch is reinforced with sturdy cork. Plus the comfy memory foam mid-layer, found throughout the sole, absorbs sweat.
Comfort and Support Plantar Fasciitis Feet Insoles
People with flat feet can often develop plantar fasciitis, an inflammation of the band of tissue across the bottom of the foot that can lead to heel pain, Nelya Lobkova, DPM, a surgical podiatrist and founder of Tribeca Podiatry in New York City, tells SELF. A thick insole, like this option from Walk-Hero, can help reduce that discomfort: It’s cushioned enough to absorb the impact from your footsteps and features a deep heel cup to help keep your foot in a comfortable position all day long.
Powerstep is another preferred brand for Dr. Sims, and this particular insole is made specifically with flat feet in mind. It’s relatively stiff yet cushioned—so it should feel comfy but not like it’s collapsing. Also, it’s on the low side, which provides some arch pain relief without significantly raising your foot, making it a great option if higher-arch insoles feel super uncomfortable.
Blue Medium Arch Support Foam Insoles
This is another top-rated Superfeet insole, made of the same dense foam as the Green iteration but with a much lower profile. Since the Blue version lifts the arch a little less, it might be a comfier introductory option for people who are new to using insoles.
Polysorb Cross Trainer Athletic Cushioning Arch Support Shoe Insoles
You can make your favorite workout shoes and sneakers more supportive with the Spenco Polysorb Insole, which is designed to reduce flat feet pain even during high-impact activities. It has a highly padded heel, pressure-relieving forefoot, and a slightly lifted arch. Reviewers note that the arch is just high enough to make a difference in how their shoes feel: “The exact support I need for my flat feet. These make all shoes a dream,” one Amazon reviewer wrote.
Not only does Fulton’s Athletic style of insole check expert-recommended boxes, like rigidity and an ample heel cup, it also impressed one SELF staffer, who wore her pair inside running shoes on long summer days spent walking all over Brooklyn. “After a couple months of wearing the insoles, I found that my feet, shins, knees, and hips no longer screamed in pain,” she wrote in her review. “The insoles seemed to support my flat feet with just the right amount of curve under my arches, and my ankles and heels felt secure.”
Designed by a podiatrist dealing with his own foot pain, this insole from Samurai is made to reduce the discomfort that results from both flat feet and plantar fasciitis. It has a slightly flexible, responsive orthotic core built into the mid-foot and heel, which allows it to both bend with your foot and prevent it from rolling inward. This insole is a little thinner than the other options on our list, so it’s a good pick if you want something that won’t add a ton of bulk to footwear like dress shoes.
The Pinnacle Maxx Support insole from Powerstep is seriously sturdy—it has a firm, mid-height arch and a deep, angled heel cup that’s meant to prevent your foot from slipping around or rolling inward. It’s still comfortable and cushioned, so you can wear it in your everyday shoes, from sneakers to work boots, without concern.
Now that we’ve taken a closer look at some of the best insoles on the market, here’s a little more info you should know before picking up a pair of your own. For most people, having flat feet isn’t a major problem, Dr. Lobkova says. That said, if you sit or stand for long periods of time, flat feet can contribute to arch, knee, hip, and back pain. They may also increase your likelihood of developing calluses, as the inside of your foot has a greater tendency to rub and chafe against your shoes. And flat feet can cause your ankles and lower legs to roll inward, which can lead to knee pain and shin splints (especially if you’re a runner). If you deal with any of these discomforts, a shoe insert could help provide more support and stability—and hopefully relieve some of your pain, Alissa Kuizinas, DPM, a podiatrist at Wellness in Motion Boston, tells SELF.
Most of our picks featured above have key design elements in common, which you can keep in mind while you shop for your own insoles. For one thing, a full-length OTC insole should have a heel cup that sits directly under your heel and is deep enough to hug the sides of it, Dr. Sims says. That snug fit will help keep your foot stable and supported, he explains.
For further stability, look for a stiff insole, Dr. Sims says. He cautions against those that advertise a lot of cushioning, because the more rigid the insole, the more supportive it’ll be. Here’s an easy test: If you can bend an insole at various points, or even roll it up, it’s likely too soft. That means it may actually contribute to foot and ankle instability instead of managing it.
Beyond that, the right insole choice comes down to what makes your feet feel better—and that may mean testing out a few pairs (like the ones we recommended above) before you find the best option. If you discover your foot pain doesn’t get better with an OTC insole or other at-home treatments, talk with your doctor or podiatrist to see if custom orthotic insoles might be the better choice for your foot health.
SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.
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