How to Tell if You Have Flat Feet: 3 Simple Tests You Can Do at Home
Do you ever wonder if you have flat feet? Well, you can find out right at home with these three easy tests! Flat feet, also known as fallen arches, can sometimes lead to foot pain and other problems, but there are ways to manage it. In this blog post, we’ll show you how to perform these tests and understand what your feet are telling you.
The Footprint Test
Materials Needed: A towel or any surface that can show the shape of your foot, and some water.
- Start by getting your feet wet – yes, you read that right! Dip your feet in water or wet them with a damp cloth.
- Step onto the towel or surface, leaving a footprint.
- Take a look at the shape of your footprint. In a normal arch, the curve that connects your toes to your heel is about half the width of the front of your foot.
- If your footprint looks more rectangular with little or no curve, it's likely that you have flat feet.
The Too Many Toes Sign
- Stand in a relaxed posture with your feet parallel to each other.
- Ask someone to look at your feet from behind.
- Pay attention to the outside of your feet and count how many toes you can see.
- If you can see more than one or two toes, it's a sign that you might have flat feet.
- You can also confirm this by examining your Achilles tendon. On a flat foot, the Achilles tendon will be arched and curved inward, and the inside of your foot will be quite close to the ground.
The Shoe Wear Pattern Test
- Take a pair of shoes that you wear regularly.
- Place them on a flat surface.
- Examine the wear pattern on the soles of the shoes.
- If you notice more wear on the inside of the sole, especially around the heel area, this could indicate that you have flat feet.
- You might also see that the inside of the shoe is leaning inward.
Having flat feet doesn’t necessarily mean you need orthotics or insoles. Some people’s bodies adapt to flat feet without any issues. However, if you experience foot, ankle, knee, or hip pain, you may want to consider trying orthotics to see if they can help alleviate your discomfort.
If you’re unsure about whether you need orthotics but want a cost-effective way to find out, be sure to watch our video on the topic “Do I need Orthotics?” on our YouTube Channel @eastwestphysiotherapy. We also have another video that shows exercises to strengthen your feet and arches here.
Thank you for reading, and we hope these tests help you better understand your feet. If you have any questions or want more information, feel free to leave a comment, and we’ll be happy to assist you!
