The Importance of Arch Support in Sandals for Overpronation: 4 Questions Answered

Sandals with adequate arch support are important in distributing your weight evenly. They improve posture and balance as well as prevent pain caused by overpronation.

When overpronation is corrected, the bones in your body—from your feet to your back—are aligned, eliminating discomfort and allowing you to enjoy your everyday activities.

To understand overpronation, it’s important to first define pronation.

Pronation is the inward rolling of a foot. As your foot hits the ground, the arch rolls slightly inward to absorb impact and then stretches out to distribute it to the heel, sole, and other areas.

In overpronation, the foot rolls inward too far due to a collapsed arch, preventing it from absorbing impact. Our fallen arches insoles are great for correcting fallen arches.

Repetitive impact to the feet, without absorption, accumulates over time and causes misalignment and pain.

Overpronation is the opposite of underpronation (supination). The definitions below make a distinction between the two terms to avoid confusion.

Overpronation

• Body weight is exerted on the inner foot
• Feet roll inward as they hit the ground
• The foot has a flat look
• Strain is on the big and second toe

Underpronation (Supination)

• Body weight is exerted on the outer foot
• Feet roll outward as they hit the ground
• The foot has a raised arch
• Strain is on the ankle

Overpronation strains your muscles, tendons, and ligaments, putting you at risk of injuries such as:

• Heel spurs
• Shin splints
• Ankle sprains
• Achilles tendonitis
• Plantar fasciitis

With these injuries, pain and discomfort are experienced in the feet and may extend to the knees, hips, and back. Try our insoles for plantar fasciitis and insoles for tendonitis to find relief from pain and discomfort.

We’ll now answer four of the most common questions about overpronation and arch support. Visit our FAQ page for more information on recovery sandals and insoles.

Overpronation is caused by many factors, including hereditary inclination and bad shoes. The following are the most common reasons for overpronation:

• Genetics: Some families have a history of connective tissue disorders that affect their tendons and ligaments. Such a disorder can be inherited and cause overpronation.
• Flat feet: People with naturally flat feet have a higher chance of developing overpronation than those with healthy arches.
• Unsupportive shoes: High heels put pressure on the ball of the foot and strain the arch, while flat shoes like flip flops lack support, causing arches to fall.
• Wear and tear: Overusing the ligaments, muscles, and arches of your feet—as in the case of dancers—wears them out and leads to overpronation. 

A quick way to tell whether you have overpronation is to look at your shoes for wear and tear. If you overpronate, the inner side of your shoe’s sole will be more worn down than the outside. Most of the wear will be near the ball of the foot, next to the big toe.

Another way is to place your shoes on a flat surface and observe them. If they tilt inwards then you’re an overpronator.

Overpronators have low arches. To test this out, dip your feet in water and press your footprint onto paper or cardboard. If there’s no visible gap between the ball of the foot and the heel, you’re an overpronator, as shown in the table below.

Shape Of Arch	What It Means
	You’re an overpronator. Your feet have collapsed arches or none, causing them to roll inward
	You’re not an overpronator but your arch is high and causes the feet to roll outward (supination). This condition can be corrected using our insoles for supination
	You have healthy feet that pronate correctly, making you neither a supinator nor an overpronator

Source: Tread Labs

It’s also possible to tell if you have overpronation if you have these symptoms:

• Corns or calluses
• Heel or arch pain
• Hammertoes
• Back, knee, and hip pain

Lastly, look at your shins. Follow the line of your bone from the knee to the ankle. You‘ll know you overpronate if the bone line runs to the inner foot. In a healthy foot, the bone line should run to the first or second toe.

The best sandals for overpronation are those made with breathable materials and a footbed with a raised arch.

Breathable materials for the footbed include:

• Foam
• Cork
• Acrylic
• Polypropylene
• Fiberglass
• Ethylene vinyl acetates (EVA)

If you have raised arches, choose sandals with extra arch support. This will usually come in the form of extra cushioning.

For flat feet, choose sandals with low, stiff orthotics to ensure that your low arches are well supported.

The sandals should also have adjustable straps. Without straps, you won’t be able to fit them properly. Your foot will slip forward and fail to receive maximum support. 

You can stop the progress of overpronation by wearing sandals with arch support. Tread Labs orthotic sandals have arch support to align the body. They also have ample cushioning to absorb shock.

Include foot exercises in your daily life to strengthen the arches and relax tired foot muscles. Such exercises include:

• Heel stretches: Stand with one foot forward and bend your body to exert pressure on the front foot. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat four times.
• Tennis ball rolls: Sit with both feet flat and place a tennis or golf ball under one foot. Roll the ball back and forth for 2–3 minutes with each foot.
• Toe raises: Stand with both feet flat and press the big toes into the ground while lifting the other toes for five seconds. Next, press the other toes down and lift the big toes for five seconds. Repeat 5–10 times.
• Calf raises: Bend with your feet and hands on the floor, and lift both heels as high as possible. Hold this position for five seconds. Lower your heels and repeat 5–10 times, as shown below.

Try foot exercises alongside Tread Labs sandals, and you’ll experience even faster relief from overpronation.

Our sandals can be dressed up for a classy outing or dressed down for a walk or light hike. Here’s our stylish and colorful collection: 

Try our insanely comfortable men’s and women’s Albion Sandals, and enjoy arch support all day. Albion Sandals will fit your active lifestyle and are ideal for all foot shapes. Their unique features include:

• Sculpted footbeds that follow the natural foot shape to support all parts
• Polyurethane midsoles that make the sandals lightweight and durable
• Microfiber suede underfoot to absorb moisture and keep your feet dry
• Backstraps to provide extra grip when your feet are more active

Give your feet the love they need with arch support sandals that can withstand machine-washing and dry fast.

Enjoy our men’s and women’s Orleans Sandals. You’ll enjoy a kick-on, kick-off experience when you’ve been on your feet all day. 

Other features include:

• Water-friendly materials that are machine-washable and dry fast 
• Durable rubber outsoles that can be resoled to give your sandals a new look 
• Microfiber suede footbeds to keep your feet dry and cool

Orleans Sandals are great for walking and light hiking. With these sandals, there’s no need to put on your running shoes when it’s time to get moving.

Arch support sandals play a big role in easing pain and discomfort for people with overpronation. They shift the pressure from localized parts of your feet and distribute it evenly.

Various factors such as genetics, flat feet, wear and tear of ligaments, and unsupportive shoes are the major causes of overpronation.

It’s important to prioritize your foot health with proper support. Tread Labs arch support sandals are made of durable and breathable materials, making them a great choice if you’re looking for comfort and support.