Foot supports are a commonly used treatment for a number of foot and leg biomechanical problems. They are designed and used to fix alignment and biomechanical issues. All the scientific data shows they are usually quite effective and the patient satisfaction type research shows that they are well received by those that use them. That does not imply that they don't have issues. They actually do have problems. They are able to only be used in footwear which has the space for them to fit into. This means that they are unable to be used in certain varieties of sports shoes plus some footwear used in particular jobs. Also, in some climates closed in shoes are not very common due to the temperatures. Some individuals just have a philosophical objection to foot supports because they see them to be unnatural and as crutches which should not be used.

Whilst foot supports are pretty straight forward and will very easily be designed to work in the short to medium term you can find alternatives if users prefer to pursue that alternative. Exercise treatments are one alternative and muscle strength could be improved and used as an alternative. Having said that, this could take many months to work and it will be a good idea to use foot orthotics to begin with as they can help get some improvement almost right away. If shoes are the challenge and it is not possible for economic, occupational, sporting or lifestyle reasons to change the footwear, then there are solutions such as the Archie Flip Flops which come from Australia and have a good volume of arch support constructed in. There are more kinds of footwear such as these that do have support integrated, however the amount is quite smaller compared to the Archies and might not necessarily do much good. As always it is best to talk to your health professional about what they think is the best choice for you.