I Have Extremely High Arches: Do I Need Orthotics?

Pes cavus is the term for high arches in your feet. Your arches, located between the heel and the ball of the foot, are flexible. Your feet usually have small arches when they’re at rest, but the arches flex when you walk.

Some people have extremely high arches. They never flatten or come in contact with the ground, even when you put your weight on them. If you make a footprint, you won’t see the middle part of your foot.

If you have a mild case of pes cavus, you may not experience any issues. But for some people, an extremely high arch can cause pain and difficulty with their gait, and it may prove to be a progressive condition.

At Chicagoland Foot and Ankle, our board-certified podiatrists diagnose and treat high arches at our multiple locations in and around Chicago, Illinois. 

One of the first-line treatments we use is custom orthotics. These shoe inserts are noninvasive and can help relieve the pain and other symptoms you experience. Here’s what’s involved.

Symptoms of high arches

Walking when you have high arches puts a lot of stress on parts of your feet that aren’t designed to bear it. This can lead to discomfort and even injuries.

If you develop symptoms from high arches, the first ones are likely to be:

• Foot pain, especially in the ball or heel
• Ankle pain and swelling
• Arch pain

Over time, you may develop:

• Corns and calluses on the parts of your feet that bear your weight
• Ankle joint instability, causing rolls and sprains
• Claw toes or hammertoes

In addition, some people develop chronic pain from repetitive stress injuries, including metatarsalgia (inflammation in the ball of the foot), plantar fasciitis (inflammation in a heel ligament), and peroneal tendinitis (inflammation in an outer ankle tendon).

High arches also affect how you walk. Specifically, they cause supination (under pronation), where you walk on the outsides of your feet, leading to increased pressure on the less flexible parts, including the ball, heel, and outer toes.

A normal foot pronates when you step on it, meaning it rolls from the outside toward the inside. This acts as a shock absorber and allows your feet to adapt to uneven surfaces. High arches, though, don’t roll very well, so your feet remain on the outer edge, don’t absorb shock well, and can’t adequately adapt to uneven surfaces.

What are orthotics and how can they help?

Custom orthotics are shoe inserts designed especially for your feet and their problems. For high arches, the orthotics reposition your feet to correct your movement patterns, allowing for more pronation and less stress on the areas of the feet that shouldn’t be bearing your weight.

We take measurements and molds of your feet and send them to a lab that creates the devices. They may be made of soft, rigid, or semi-rigid materials, depending on your specific case. You slide the orthotics into your shoes, and they reposition your feet so you achieve a more normal gait.

By routinely wearing the orthotics, you’ll notice a decrease in pain and other symptoms, allowing you to walk more normally and more comfortably.

If you have extremely high arches and are experiencing symptoms, we at Chicagoland Foot and Ankle can help. Call any of our locations (Mount Greenwood and Portage Park areas of Chicago, as well as Orland Park, Bartlett, Niles, and New Lenox, Illinois) to schedule a consultation, or book your appointment online today.