Being on our feet every day, we often only focus on the relief of sitting down at the end of a long day. However, the importance of our feet and keeping them healthy often goes unacknowledged. our feet take on our entire body weight throughout the day, and believe it or not, the arch of your foot is actually taking on the majority of that pressure. The arch area is made of many ligaments and tendons, which allows the body to support your weight throughout the day. In this blog, we’re going to go over the three main types of arches, and how knowing what kind of arch you have can help you find the best shoes for your feet.

Three Types of Arches

the easiest way to find out what kind of arch you have is by using the “wet test”. All you have to do is put your foot in water, then place your foot somewhere where it will make a visible footprint such as on a piece of cardboard or smooth sidewalk. After doing so, you should be able to distinguish your arch type as one of the following:

Low Arch

If the print of your wet test shows almost a full outline with little curving on the inside, this means you have a low arch. Having a very low arch can also be referred to as flat feet, which is why finding the right shoe to support your foot is important to avoid future injuries. For low arch feet, it’s recommended to look for a shoe that is going to control the motion of your foot as well as protect the ligaments and muscles in your arch. 

Medium Arch

If your print shows an outline with a slight curve between the ball and heel of your foot, you likely have a medium arch, or normal arch. while this type of arch typically correlates with neutral pronation, it’s still important to look for a shoe that is going to provide you stability to help protect that neutral pronation in the future.

High Arch

If your print shows an outline with a steep curve between the ball and heel of your foot, this means you have a high arch. people with high arches tend to roll their feet in a bit more, or overpronate, which can affect the surrounding joints. Finding a good stability shoe is important for people with higher arches in order to support the joints and ligaments that can be strained when someone overpronates.

Knowing what type of arch you have can be beneficial when determining the best shoes for your feet and avoiding foot pain. When looking for the right shoes for your feet, we recommend Xelero.  Xelero shoes are uniquely suited to help all 3 foot types and aid in helping those who need stability or went too long without the right support from their shoes. The technology behind Xelero shoes is broken down into 3 parts:

Control Plate: Enhances stability and reduces pressure under the foot.

Propulsion Element: Provides stability, control and promotes forward motion.

Midsole: Gel pads under the forefoot and heel for added shock absorption.

No matter the foot type, with Xelero shoes, you will walk easier and stay on your feet longer with less pain, whether that means helping you live a healthier, more active lifestyle, or getting you back training quicker while overcoming an injury.