Flat Feet vs High Arches: What's the Difference?

Your arch type shapes how weight moves through your foot with every step — and getting the wrong kind of support for your arch can do more harm than wearing no insole at all.

What Flat Feet Look Like

With flat feet (also called fallen arches), the entire sole makes near-full contact with the ground, with little to no visible curve along the inner edge of the foot. This often leads to overpronation, where the foot rolls inward excessively during walking or running.

Common effects: inner knee strain, ankle fatigue, and arch or heel pain after standing for long periods.

What High Arches Look Like

High arches are the opposite: only a narrow strip of the foot touches the ground between the heel and forefoot. Because less surface area absorbs impact naturally, high arches often place more pressure on the ball and heel of the foot.

Common effects: shock-related pain in the heel or ball of the foot, and a tendency toward ankle instability.

Not Sure Which One You Have?

The simplest way to check is the wet footprint test: wet the sole of your foot, step onto a dry surface, and compare the shape of the print you leave behind. We walk through it step by step in our Foot Type Finder guide.

Supporting Flat Feet

Flat feet generally respond best to firm, structured arch support that helps limit excess inward rolling. Our Orthotic Arch Support range is built specifically around this kind of contoured, corrective support.

Supporting High Arches

High arches benefit most from extra cushioning to make up for the reduced natural shock absorption. Our CarbonMotion Series is designed with additional cushioning through the heel and forefoot for exactly this reason.

Why Getting This Right Matters

Using the wrong type of support — for example, a very firm structured insole on a high arch that already lacks cushioning — can sometimes increase discomfort rather than relieve it. Matching the insole to your actual arch type is the difference between an insole that helps and one that sits unused in a drawer.