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I can never wear shoes like these pink heels! | Source: Shutterstock
I was fifteen and walking around barefoot when my boyfriend looked down, was startled, then exclaimed, “You never told me you had flat feet!” Prior to this, I hadn’t been aware that anyone needed to be alerted to this detail about me, but soon after that, it actually started becoming an issue (although the boyfriend learned to deal with it).
My feet started to hurt. A lot. I went on vacation with my family and my feet started hurting so much when we were walking around that I’d have to be left on a bench. I had to go to a doctor and had custom insoles for my shoes made – which made me feel like an old lady. They helped, but since I had to wear them all the time, I couldn’t wear high heels or strappy sandals like other girls, even some sneakers were off limits.
And when my friends wanted to go shoe shopping for fun, I’d be the only one not to take home an amazing pair of new kicks. Basically? I was wearing orthopedic shoes in high school. In college, I wore Converse a lot because I was dying to look at least a smidge cooler, but standing for lengths of time in them was painful, not just to my feet, but aching would spread up my legs and back.
Are these really worth the pain?! | Source: Shutterstock
Finding shoes became – and still is – an ordeal. It’s not just high heel shoes I can’t wear. I walk sadly past sneakers, flats, boots, even plain old sandals, knowing that they aren’t wide enough and I’ll end up with blisters. I frequently try on a shoe and remove it as soon as it’s on because I know I’m going to end up in pain after a few steps. Buy shoes online without trying them on? Yeah right! Sometimes I’ll find a cute, seemingly-harmless flat that fits, and upon checking myself out in the mirror, see it’s stretched out wide, reminding me of my grandma’s feet. Back on the shelf it goes. I have to admit, there are moments when I envy girls who can pick out the cutest, highest shoes from Zappos and call it a day.
That said, there are some days I’m kind of glad I have an excuse not to wear crazy torture devices on my feet like some girls do. I often see this one girl I know practically limping, with Band-Aids on the backs of her ankles. When I ask what happened, she always says she went dancing (or did something else) in sky-high heels. When I’d ask why on earth she wore such debilitating shoes, she’d answer that they were cute. Well … ok, sure, but me being able to walk around comfortably beats your poor injured feet, despite my lack of fashion! I was forced to give up on heels eons ago, and while some of my outfits might look cuter with ‘em, I also never find myself with cuts on my feet or having to carry around my shoes because I couldn’t stand in them anymore. Plus? It’s so hard to find a pair of shoes that I like and that fit that I’m guaranteed to never blow all my cash on new shoes like some of my friends. I’ll keep my flats and you can keep your blisters. These crazy flat feet may not be pretty but who cares how good you look when you can’t even walk?!
Do you wear high heels? Are your feet wide, long, flat, or weird like mine? Tell me all about it in the comments!
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I had a hyprocure surgery and it fixed my flat feet. still have trouble with heels but life is better
I also had flat feet all my life, walking like a duck when I was a kid, my dad noticed I wasn’t able to walk fairly straight because I had no archs. Since then, my parents forced me to wear boots and sneaker, and no heels for me, for the rest of my life. I tried many time wearing high heels, but it takes 30 mins and i’m limping, it’s not a pretty sight.
Since then, I discovered that steel-toes boots, cowboy boots and converse are my best friends! I have a very long and narrow flat foot, probably due to the army boots I wore with orthopedic soles all my teenage years, and now my foot are as long as my boyfriend (I wear 11′s (42) size…) but half the width (and no hair thank god). It makes it very hard to find feminine shoes and I often end up buying the ”cutest” man shoes I can find.
I so wish I could wear high heels and be feminine.. but I look like the duck I was as a kid when I wear them.
Since then I discovered that I can find shoes by sizes on certain stores websites (like Spring) and have them delivered to a store nearby If I’m not sure they’ll fit me. Because most of the time I couldn`t find stuff that fitted in store, I’m very glad I found a way to bypass that moment where all the shoes I ask for do no come in my size.
Well I went to the doctor.. and I also have froggy feet… and they say that people that their feet are form like this are gonna have foot pain when you get to the age of 30 or 40
Well I am 15 yrs Old, I had never notice that I had flat feet, I always thought that my feet where normal. Until one day, That I went to school and I decided to wear sandals, and one of my friends told me that I had flat feet. I became really worried about it, and since that day I don’t know what to do to fix that. And I have been Having questions…
Can I fix my Feet forever?
How long do you have to wear Orthopedic Shoes?
Do you have to wear them All the Time?
I would love for someone to answer my questions. Thank you!
I think what really matters is: do your flat feet cause you any pain? If not, don’t worry – the big deal about ‘em is that they can cause foot/leg/back pain. For me, although I can wear flip flops, whenever I wear sneakers or plan to walk around all day, I feel more comfortable wearing insoles, and just the kind you can get at the drugstore. If you’re really experiencing discomfort, you may want to see a podiatrist (a doctor who specializes in feet).
Dear Jeffry,
flat foot is a life-long problem. there’s no cure for it.
You’ll have to wear orthopedic shoes for the rest of your life. I’ve skipped them a few years during university degree and my feet got worse. But then i’m a special case. My orthopedic doctor told me I had the flat feet of a 40 years old at 19. You should avoid no wearing them or your feet will continue to go flatter and flatter, especially if you’re overweight or obese. You can do exercises to slow down the process, and wear orthopedic shoes for the same reason, but there’s no cure to make it go away forever. It’s not a condition, it’s something missing in your body (like those people who don’t have wisdom teeth). My dad had flat feet, and there’s a high probability that my kid might have it too. it’s just genetic.
Do not despair, just take care of your feet. Shoes that hold your ankles help a lot. Sandals, high heels and flat shoes with no ankle and arch support makes it worse.
I do not wear my soles all the time, but I leave them in my favorite pair of shoes so I that wear them most of the time.
Good luck
I have the same problem. My feet are really flat and look stupid whenever i try on most shoes. However, Ive never had my feet hurt as bad as it sounds like yours did. I usually have to stick to shoes like sneakers with flat bottoms already built in. Because whenever I do wear shoes with an arch in them, they end up hurting my feet instead of making them feel better. :/
I have the same problem, I have very wide feet and it’s ruining my life. I can’t find and pretty shoes that fit, and i have to have orthopaedic insoles for 1 pair of trainers i have. It sucks. For parties and going out i have to wear pumps with everything. My feet bulge over the sides of shoes which is so embarrassing.
I also have very wide feet, so wide that i have to wear men’s shoes. i have to wear character shoes for a show and they are heels. When i tried them on, they were squishing my toes. I tried asking for a wider size but the only thing they could do was to widen it by hand. I know that it won’t be wide enough, but should i still wear them? I don’t want my feet to be in pain the whole show.
If you aren’t on stage the whole time, can you take them off while you’re offstage? Or, considering this deals with physical pain – and you have every right to not want that – you can also tell whomever’s in charge that the shoes cause you horrible pain (talk it up, don’t just say “they hurt”) and there’s absolutely no way you can handle being in those shoes all show without notably limping/looking like you’re in pain onstage.
for me, i played alot of sports as i was young so i now have a large bone sticking out right at the top of my foot. it sucks i cant wear heels without half of my foot sticking out, with a large ugly bone!
I have one arch foot and one flat foot if it makes you feel any better. I do wear heels for a night on the town just not daily
I have bunions so I can wear a lot more shoes than you guys but I have to wear this toe separater and I can wear sandals and stuff a lot just not every single day. But the night brace UGHHHHH. I HATE IT. AND MY FOO LOOK SO YUCKY. PLUS I H
HAVE TO GO UNDER A SUPER SYRGERY WHEN IM OLDER.
Wow I’m in the exact same situation! The thing with me is that I’m only 5 feet tall, and wearing flat orthopedic shoes don’t help the height situation. I constantly feel like I’m shorter than everyone else- because I am!
I’m 5’0″ too – I feel your frustration!
My feet are so weird my small toes have these red lumps on them and I hate wearing open toed shoes and P.S. they get stubbed soo easily becuz they lean forward and the tip of both of em leaves dent in shoes after a while!ITS HORRIBLE!
I can’t wear certain shoes either. When I was little, I had a big growth spurt, especially in my feet. My feet grew so big in three months that I couldn’t wear little girl shoes anymore, I was in SECOND grade. (Luckily they stopped growing for the most part–I’m 18 now) Anyway, so my shoes were way to small, and my feet became deformed–my bone where the toes attach, sticks out wide. It’s nice when I can find cute shoes in a wide sides, but it doesn’t happen often, so I have just learned to deal with my shoes looking ugly with a bulge coming off the side after a few weeks.
I’m not flat-footed. There are times when I like to wear heels to maybe like a special event, but most of the time I’m happy with just wearing converse or my leather boots.
i have super flat feet and i love converse so much like i literally cry in the shoe store cuz the shoe the inner part would break down like it would be normal fitted for a person with an arch but when i wear them the look ugly THAT HAPPEN WITH ALL SHOES even my slippers look kinda weird and plus im a bit chunky so i just look like my feet r fat 2 the ppl that dont know of my situation.
(IF ANYONE KNOWS ANSWER 4 ME. DOES WEARING INSOLES PREVENT THE SHOE FROM LOOKING HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
i thought i was the only one in the freaking universe… sometimes i cry thinking about it. jk i dont. but i try looking around my school for at least ONE PERSON who has the same issue as me. its never happened before. i have severe flat feet. sounds like you do too
i was born with flat feet. i was born with hair loss and balding. i was born with this weird skin i dont even know… and my mom says to “be glad that you survived your fever when you 6 months” im now 16 and high school dances and banquets. fml no heels and no special hairstyles.
marching band member and varsity tennis player.
Rachel, it sounds like despite everything you’ve dealt with, you’ve still managed to see some serious success – varsity athlete AND marching band? Two things where you need to be on your feet, no less! Also, I’m guessing you’ve gotten very creative when it comes to standing out/being beautiful at dances, and I’m sure you’re awesome at it. It takes way more than heels and hair to make a rad gURL, and it sounds like you’ve found a bunch of ways to stand out for more than just how pretty you look! <3 Amy
I can try to walk in heels, but I’m incredibly unstable. They’re always too slim for my feet, the most I could do is a very small heel, but even that hurts. I’m extremely flat footed, and it’s causing all sorts of problems with my hips and back and it just sucks, especially when you put my hypermobility and CMT on top of it. I’ve honestly given up on any other shoes that aren’t skater shoes or my flip-flops. And that’s only if they’re men’s. lol It’s nice to know I’m not the only one with such difficulties with shoes. :3
iknw how you feel…i also use the costume insoles and its embarrassing to take my shoes off because if i do everyone would be able to see them..iuse them even though ihad surgery to get the arc..i use to be in colorguard and most of the time we spend standing up with the flag..the surgery is kindda painful..
i know what you mean about flat feet, i have been running every morning for a few years and it took its toll on my feet the arches have begun to fall, my feet get so painful when i’m standing and i play lead guitar in a band so i spend hours at a time standing, but i tend to live in a pair of Doc Martins so their quite wide and i can get two sets of cusioned insoles inside them, i do haowever end up walking in diagonal lines i’m acctually un able to walk in a straight line
I also have flat feet, but not bad enough to have shoes be off-limits to me, however, I normally don’t wear heels (despite my 5’5″ frame), unless I’m out with my volleyball friends, and that’s only so I can talk to them face-to-face. My trick for comfy heels? Get wedges, and get things with cushioned ankle support (I often wear booties rather than any other heeled shoe.)
I also can’t borrow any shoes from any of my friends, since I’m a 6.5 any they’re all over an 8
thanks for writing this! I have CP and had leg-braces for about 13 years, yeah they and the foot surgeries didn’t help my feet any, but I can wear some kitten heals, shame the extra high platform are in style now. :/
I can’t wear them either. I’m already almost six feet tall (just did a post on this!) and can’t walk in them. Check out Be&D’s new big city sneaker – you might like these!
http://beandd.com/collections/womens-shoes/products/big-city-sneaker
Ha – I wonder if I can get away with wearing those to work! And they’ve gotta be wide enough.