Flat feet is a painful condition that afflicts many people. Having flat feet can lead to all sorts of issues including foot pain, as well as the problem of finding the right shoe for your foot. There are many different strategies for dealing with flat feet. One common strategy is orthotics.
But orthotics are not for everybody. A lot of times a good shoe or cleat can help with pain and discomfort as much as an orthotic. What does one look for in a cleat for a person with flat feet? What you want is a cleat wide enough for your foot. The flat foot widens out your feet, and if the shoe is tight that will cause wear on the outer edges (if you have flat feet you already know this). One of the misconceptions is you need a high arch in your shoe to help deal with flat feet. That is incorrect. A high arch will only exacerbate the pain from your flat feet. What you need is a low arch to match the contour of your foot, but be firm enough to hold whatever arch you have in place..
Below I have chosen a couple of examples of lacrosse cleats that would be ideal for the player with flat feet: (all the shoes below come in men’s and women’s)
ASICS Men’s Gel Provost Mid Lacrosse Cleat– This cleat is great for the player with flat feet for a couple of reasons. The gel padding on the sole helps mitigate stress and forces on your foot, reducing pain. The heel is elevated 10mm which will help the foot function from a biomechanical efficent position. Another feature is the removable insole, so if you want to use orthotics with this cleat they will fit snuggly.
New Balance 5464 Lacrosse Cleats– Remember what I said about width. If that is your issue this is the cleat for you. This is the widest cleat you are going to find on the market. As always New Balance puts function ahead of style, and with New Balance you can be assured a biomechanically sound foot.