The Best Shoes for High Arches, Plantar Facitis, Painful Feet

The problem: You have diagnosed Plantar Facitis, high arches, or lingering pain in your ankles, knees, and lower back. I had to figure out my foibles alone and will give you the Cliff's Notes for a pain free life.

 This is difficult to solve for Americans since the big manufacturers are 95% focused on window dressing minimally supported footwear.

1. Shoes are all different. The most important component is the "last". This is the shape of the footbed in three dimensions. They can be pointy, squared, rounded at toe. Footbeds vary in width and height at key points.
1.A. The best features and buzzwords to look for are:

• Deep Heel (settles the base of the your foot for stability)
• Firm Arch (a floppy or flat arch is destabilizing and causes joint tenderness)
• Orthotic (this isn't a bad word!)
• Support (and some Neutral) lasts

1.B. Avoid the following

• Flat "Pillow insoles"
• Dr. Scholls (Gel and the multicolored "zones" are hype)
• Motion Control

2. The easiest solution to adjust existing (or desired footwear) is the SOLE Brand inserts (NOT Sof Sole or Superfeet as they are inferior, based on experience). This will fix around 90% of your problems.

• Response ($44) (1.6mm thick) (Red) Perfect all-rounder. My go-to. Taken to war and peace.
• Ultra ($44) (3.2mm) (Black) Great for work boots or roomier footwear.
• Thin ($44) (.8mm) I use these in dress shoes after trashing the original footbeds.

The above are the mainline inserts. There are "pro" versions but these have no important differences. 3. Some shoes have really poor designs (a flat heel with a low ankle). These work: Casual

• Keen ($40 to $120) (Amazon) Excellent Value and comfort
• ECCO ($60 to $200) (Amazon) or Shoemart The solid middle brand
• Mephisto ($200+) (Amazon) or Shoemart Pricey but beloved

Athletic Mizuno is the unsurpassed king of arch support with the following models:

• Wave Rider ($70-$125) - Medium cushion (distance running and cross-training)
• Wave Elixer ($75-$125) - Light cushion (running)

Sandals

• Reef ($20-$50)
• Keen ($58 - $125)
• Teva ($19 - $80)
• SOLE ($40-$80)

Dress - The Big Secret? Go Italian or be very selective with American Brands.

  Santoni (Italian) (Terrific Goodyear welted series as-well-as casual soled shoes)

• Santoni at TheShoeMart (excellent selection)
• Santoni at Yoox (the remainder bin of Italy)

Doucals (Italian) at Yoox (Very diverse line)

Alden (USA) Modified Last ($350+) - Terrific last for high arches and wider balled feet

• Alden Modified at TheShoeMart (Limited but essential selection)
• Alden Modified at Moulded Shoe NY (Call-in orders)

Allen Edmonds (USA) 511G Last - Built for orthotics!

• Ashton ($225) at Allen Edmonds
• Benton ($225) at Allen Edmonds

Boots

 White's (USA) ($225-$450) - True works of art and oh so comfortable.
 Drew's (USA) ($400+) - The Pacific Northwest, in your shoes.

Military
Tactical Research (only with TR-1 Orthotic Insoles)

• Kiowa ($100)
• Khyber ($120) 
• Guardian (Steel Toe) ($110)

PW Minor's Patriot Boot - ($299) - Built for orthotics!

Good luck!