Should shoes have arch support?

This topic always seems to get people fired up. So, should shoes have arch support? Let’s discuss.

First off, this is a general discussion about what most people need. There will always be exceptions. Do some people need arch support? Yes. But do most people need arch support? The research suggests no.

 Having shoes with arch support was something that was taught to me as a child, and I know that’s the same for many others. That’s why so many question why barefoot shoes do not have arch support. As I’ve learned more about foot health and barefoot shoes, I realized the best thing I could do to have health feet is to wear flat shoes. This allows the muscles to work and support themselves.

Most modern conventional shoes have arch support. This means that most people are being prescribed arch support, whether they need it or not. And as they wear this support, they rely less on their own muscles, which weakens their feet…and this ultimately becomes a reinforcing loop where then they need support for their weaker feet. 

What does the research say about arch support?

This study published in Nature found that many people in developed countries that wore conventional modern shoes, meaning shoes with arch support, narrow toe boxes, stiff soles, had an increased rate of flat feet and weakness in their longitudinal arch. These problems were very rare when compared to people that were habitually barefoot or wore minimal shoes. Their results suggested that wearing conventional shoes with arch support is associated with weaker intrinsic foot muscles that may predispose individuals to weaker longitudinal arch and potentially flat foot.

Another study also published in Nature found that normal daily activity in minimal footwear, which again provides little or no support, increases foot muscle strength.

Should you wear shoes with arch support?

The research suggests that arch support is not beneficial for most people.

If you have pain or specific problems, it’s best to get a medical consult, hopefully with a medical practitioner that is focused on restoring your foot function. For some, that could include long term arch support, but hopefully most can restore their natural foot function.

My goal is to have strong, healthy feet, which is why I wear barefoot shoes.