LEVELING WITH FLAT FEET
It's no surprise so many running injuries are foot-related. They're the first part of your body to absorb the shock of running.
By Ken McAlpine
PUBLISHED 09/26/2001
Twelve years ago, the U.S. Navy's physical therapists took one look at Milo Prodanovich's feet and concluded it was impossible for him to run. Given his incredibly flat feet and the prevailing wisdom at the time, their appraisal was understandable. Flat feet were viewed as the scourge of able-bodied folk, and no feet were flatter than Prodanovich's.
"My feet are so flat," says Prodanovich, "that they leave suction-cup marks on the road when I walk."
By the time the navy told Prodanovich he shouldn't be running, he had already been doing so for 13 years, logging between 30 and 50 miles a week. Prodanovich ran through his stint with the navy, and is still at it, feet as flat as ever.
Moral of the story: Flat feet don't necessarily preclude you from running. But they can cause you some trouble if you're not careful.
"You can't just look at a flat-footed person and say, Gee, you're going to have problems running,' " says Lloyd Smith, D.P.M., a Newton, Mass., sports podiatrist and past president of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine. "A lot of people who run, and run very successfully, have flat feet. Yet we do know that people with flat feet have a greater chance of getting injured than people with normal-arched feet."
How can you tell if you have a genuinely flat foot?
Try taking the Wet Test. Wet your feet and then stand on a flat, dry surface that will leave an imprint of your foot. When you look at the imprint, you should find that you have one of the following foot types.
The flat foot
Description: Flat feet have a low arch and leave a nearly complete imprint; there's little inward curve where the arch should be.
Foot characteristics: This imprint usually indicates an overpronated foot that strikes on the outside of the heel and rolls inward excessively. Over time, this can cause many different kinds of overuse injuries. Runners with flat feet often need motion-control or stability shoes.
The normal foot
Description: Normal feet have a normal-sized arch and leave an imprint that has a flare but shows the forefoot and heel connected by a wide band.
Foot characteristics: A normal foot lands on the outside of the heel, then rolls inward (pronates) slightly to absorb shock. Runners with a normal foot and normal weight are usually considered biomechanically efficient and don't require motion-control shoes.
The high-arched foot
Description: High-arched feet leave an imprint showing a very narrow band connecting the forefoot and heel.
Foot characteristics: A curved, high-arched foot is generally termed a supinated or underpronated foot. This type of foot usually doesn't pronate enough, so it's not an effective shock absorber. Runners with high-arched feet often need shoes with superior cushioning.
