PSA: Flat feet suck.

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Since I started working at Blockbuster, I’ve met a lot of people who don’t believe flat feet hurt, have never heard of it, or have heard the phrase, but have no idea what it means. This makes it really hard to convinve my manager that I can only work two days in a row, instead of three or four, due to the pain involved.

Thus, I decided to share with and inform the SDMB.

First, my personal experiences with flat feet. Here’s what happens if I stand/walk too long:

Incredible, burning foot pain,
Feeling like someone’s running a razor down the center of my foot,
Calf pain,
Knee pain,
Lower back pain.

Recent developments:
Hip pain,
Heel pain (burning).

And links:

WebMD

Podiatrist’s page

2

I hear you. Oh, do I ever hear you. :frowning:

3

While I would love to sympathize with you, I just can’t. I’ve had absolutely completely flat feet for my entire life. Seriously–my wet footprints look like a duck’s footprints in that they are completely triangular with no sign of an arch at all. I did have hip problems when I was MUCH younger, but it seems that was caused more by the orthopedic shoes I was forced to wear to “correct” my flat-footedness than it was by the flat-footedness itself. The hip problems corrected themselves completely when I decided that I would rather wear regular sneakers than ugly orthopedic shoes.

I gave up orthopedic shoes well before high school, and pretty much followed my doctor’s advice to avoid high heeled shoes and narrow-toed shoes. I actually completely gave up high heeled shoes (even for special occasions) when I fell down stairs while going out on a birthday party, and dislocated a toe, during my freshman year at college. After that I wore only low-heeled pumps, sneakers, or flat-soled sandals, and I go barefoot whenever possible.

I’m in my 40’s now, and I have virtually no problems with my feet at all. I have had problems with bunions, but forcing myself to buy only wide-toed shoes has made a definite improvement even there. I have also had many jobs that required that I be on my feet 8+ hours a day, and I bought shoes that suited those jobs to help reduce problems caused by my feet. I now teach at a business college where I am required to wear “professional dress” every day, but not a single person has said a negative word about the flat heels that I wear.

If your flatfootedness is a new problem, then you should see a doctor and get a medical statement about the problem to give to your boss. If it’s an old problem that is just starting to cause problems, then you should look at the shoes you are wearing and get something different, as well as see a doctor and get a medical statement about the problem.

4

I have flat feet, and have had them since childhood. (One foot isn’t quite flat, but it’s close enough.) So far my feet have given me little problems. I always wear flats (never heels) and I have to wear wide-width, but that’s it. I’ve worked retail where we put in long hours on our feet, and while my feet hurt (like everyone’s do after a long day), it was nothing out of the ordinary. My dad also had flat feet, and he loved to do a lot of walking. No problems (as far as I recall) for him either.

Ouch. Your condition sounds miserable. My sympathies!

5

I’ve got very flat feet myself. I’m prone to back, hip and knee problems as a result.

My advice: Spend the money and get fitted for good shoes. I’ve been doing that for a few years now and it’s definitely worth it. Find one of those shoe stores that caters to older people because they’re used to people with foot problems. Spend the time to find shoes that fit you well and are comfortable. I now wear running shoes most of the time, and my knees don’t hurt quite so much.

Robin

6

You might also want to see a podiatrist. Some of what you describe could be plantar fasciitis, which flat-footed people who spend a lot of time on their feet tend to get. I’ve had it, and it’s incredibly painful, but treatable.

Robin

7

I don’t know how effective they are for flat-footedness, but I know custom-made orthotics have been worth every penny for me. I have a multitude of foot problems, all of which are manageable by wearing the right shoes with my orthotics.

But I agree: foot pain is total and complete misery.

8

Size 14 AAA flatter than hell feet here. Custom orthotics. Mandatory after 40.

9

I second the recommendation for custom orthotics. My brother and I both have flat as hell feet. Without orthotics in the Marine Corps Infantry, he tore his meniscus and got a medical discharge. Me? I just had excruciating pain in my soles, upper calves, and knees. Finally got the orthotics in college and it was a big improvement, though I still cannot walk long distances or stand up for hours. Some people are not destined for careers on their feet. You might be one of them.

10

I have absolutely, completely, 100% flat feet. My biggest problem is pronation - when I put weight on my feet, they splay out like duck feet, and roll inwards. My big toes have huge calluses on them.

In daily use, they haven’t give me too much problem, although they prevented me from joining the Air Force. But lately they’ve been getting worse - I’ve been getting big toe pain when I walk.

But the worst is skiing and skating. I used to love skating, but I simply can’t do it any more. I wanted to take my daughter skating, so I rented some skates and tried to go out with her - I got halfway across the rink before crippling pain set in and I had to go back.

I love skiing, but it’s incredibly painful. I have to rent books that are extra wide and a size too big, which plays havoc with my control. Even so, my feet are usually in agony within a couple of hours.

So this year, I decided to get custom orthotics. Went and had my feet casted, and I just got them last week. So far, it’s been no good. Walking in the orthotics feels like walking with a big rock in each show. Not pleasant at all. The first couple of days were really tough, and I wound up with bruises on my feet where the orthotic pressed in. Just walking become painful, period. So I went a couple of days without wearing them, then tried again. Not so bad. So maybe it’s getting better.

Has anyone else who transitioned to orthotics have any experiences to share? Does the pain go away? Do you always notice they are there? Or does your foot eventually mold to them? If so, does it correct the flat-footedness when you’re not wearing them? Or do your feet just become malleable?

Also, I’m trying to decide if I should get a second pair. These things were $449, but if you buy a second pair while they still have the molds you pay $225. So I have about four months to decide. How long do these things last? They don’t feel all that sturdy, and I’m really hard on footwear. If they’re going to wear out every year, that’s pretty bleemin’ expensive.

11

I have to rent BOOTS that are wide. Not books.

12

I feel for you.

I don’t have flat feet, but I’ve worked at BBV and I’ve never known foot pain like that even though I’ve worked any number of other retail jobs. It was to the point that I couldn’t do stuff like light grocery shopping or trips to the post office and stuff after work. I could barely stand long enough to watch the stove while cooking dinner. Blockbuster is a crappy job, even though it can be fun at times. The sooner you realize that your involved in basically a losing deal, the better.

I don’t have any advice. I’m pretty sure that being a BBV employee a doctor or special shoes are out of the question. Keep looking for a better job, one that lets you sit down more often than once every four hours (and alway volunteer to pull videos out of the box, that should earn you a few minutes of off-your-feet time a shift). Blockbuster will screw you and screw you again, and I personally know people who have been injured on the job who have not been able to collect any compensation.

13

I started walking a lot recently and soon discovered I also have an over-pronating problem. Since I was looking for athletic shoes, I found a place where the sales staff were trained to deal with different athletic problems. The girl hooked me up with a pair of Asics gels, which have terrific arch support. She could have also made an arch supporting insert, but what the shoe had was enough for me. She also taught me how to rearrange your laces with a lace lock so your heel doesn’t slip out from all the arch support.

Look into this site, The Walking Site for information about different arch problems, lacing techniques, how to pick shoes, etc.

– this post was typed with a 20-pound spoiled little velcro dog balanced in my lap.

14

Wow, I thought flat feet was rare?!

My GF told me her feet are considered flat until I showed her mine. She’s still amazed I’m able to walk :smiley:

Her boss (a physiotherapist) told me that I’ll be fine if I’m not having any trouble now. Plantar fasciitis, as MsRobyn said, is common but treatable. I still don’t want it though.

I hate to say it Silver Serpentine but either suck it up or get medical help. Flat feet isn’t a good excuse. If you truely can’t work at least get medical backing before claiming it’s your flat feet. I’ve done all-day paintball, skiing and snow boarding without any problems - ever.

15

I’ve had 'em all my life. I didn’t even know you could have them corrected! I’ve worked in many jobs that required all-day standing. I’ve danced, hitchhiked, ran races, etc. Not that big a deal.

16

Another flat footer here and yes they suck. I’ve tried orthotics and expensive shoes and nothing seems to help except not working long shifts that require me to be on my feet. Then again I have other probelms and it isn’t just my feet that hurt.

17

You’re like the male version of me. I wear 9.5 AAA. Add in the flat feet, and shoe shopping is loads of fun. It’s not that big a deal, but shoddily made shoes with poor arches are out. I find it’s worth it to spend the money to get well made shoes. I love my local shoe store (Alamo Shoes on N. Clark, if you’re in Chicago). The guy there make sure everything is really okay for my weird feet and won’t let me buy shoes two sizes too small because that’s where the width is right. It’s made a world of difference for my feet.

18

I know nothing about flat feet, but would Birkenstocks work? I love my Birks, and they’re supposedly made with the health and shape of your feet in mind. However, arch support might be a problem with Birks - they’ve got high arch support and regular arch support, but nothing (that I’ve seen) for very very low to no arches. However, thought I’d mention it - maybe it’s worth a look.

19

Birks hurt my feet like hell. I tried on a pair in the store and couldn’t get much further than five feet from where I started.

Robin

20

[QUOTE=Sam Stone]
But the worst is skiing and skating.

[quote]

Me too! We took our students ice skating last year before Xmas, and by the end of that, I was in agony and was sore for days. The pain in the arch of my foot was like walking on knives. I’m only exaggerating a little bit.

When I got mine, my podiatrist told me that I should phase them in-- wear them for an hour for a few days, then add on and hour or so at a time until I could wear them all day. I bet if you tried that, they wouldn’t kill you. They really do help, but they aren’t a cure-all. I still cannot ski or ice skate for more than a short time, and long-distance walking is out of the question.