Are insoles bad for your feet? A balanced look at a controversial topic
- Maryke Louw
- May 20
- 6 min read
People who proclaim (often quite vehemently) that arch-supporting insoles are bad for your feet because they weaken your muscles take too narrow a view of the subject. They’re ignoring that we have different bodies and genetics. Let’s look at what the research shows, why some people might need insoles more than others, and the various ways you can keep your feet and body strong while using them.
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In this article:
Foot control is not just about muscles
Our foot arches rely on passive support (from ligaments, plantar fascia, and the shape of our bones) and active support (from our muscles) to maintain their shape. You need both types of support to work together for good foot stability.
The X-ray images below demonstrate how the shape of your bones influences your foot arch height – higher arches are usually more stable and rely less on ligaments and muscles for support.
So yes, weak foot muscles can contribute to overpronation and foot pain. However, if your ligaments are very lax, strengthening the muscles is often not enough to prevent injuries or stop your foot arches from changing shape (flattening out).
Your passive support system is especially important when your muscles are tired, e.g. after a long day on your feet or towards the end of a run.
💡 If you have very flexible feet, you may always need extra passive support during certain activities.
Evidence from the research
No research has been conducted that specifically looks at how supportive insoles affect intrinsic (the small muscles inside the foot) muscle strength. This is not surprising, because there’s no practical way of measuring the activity in those small muscles when someone is walking or running.
Several studies have looked at how foot orthoses (insoles) affect the muscles around the ankle and the rest of the leg – these are easier to monitor because you can simply stick an electrode over them.
When researchers pool all the available data, the results sometimes show increased activity in muscles like the tibialis anterior and peroneus longus, and other times less activity. So the evidence suggests that insoles affect different people differently.
When researchers take a more focused approach and look at specific situations where feet might benefit from more support, they often report positive effects on muscle activity.
For example, several studies have shown that people with chronic ankle instability experience delayed muscle activation around their ankles when they balance on one leg. Dingenen et al. found that shoes and supportive insoles improved muscle activation in these people compared to balancing barefoot.
💡 The claim that insoles weaken your intrinsic foot muscles is based on opinion, not fact. Individual differences mean that some people need and benefit from insoles more than others – they might even help your muscles work better in certain cases.
My advice regarding insoles
1. Not everyone needs insoles permanently
Some people might just need insoles to help them get over an injury or until they’ve gained good control in their ankles and feet – this is usually true for people with a good passive support system (less flexible ligaments or high foot arches).
However, if you have very flexible feet, can observe your foot arches changing shape, or regularly experience foot pain related to the tibialis posterior tendon or plantar fascia, you might benefit from them on a more permanent basis. A physiotherapist or podiatrist can help you understand what’s best in your case.
2. Insoles can protect your feet
If you fall into the category of very flexible feet with collapsing arches, insoles can help protect your feet and prevent your arches from further collapsing or your tibialis posterior tendon from straining.
3. Foot strength is good, but whole-body strength is better
Improving foot strength and control tends to benefit most people, regardless of whether they need orthotics for life or just as a temporary measure while recovering from an injury.
However, strengthening your whole body works even better. Poor muscle strength and weak control higher up in your legs and core increase the strain on your feet.
I find that an approach where you incorporate foot control with regular strength training exercises for your legs often produces better results than just focusing on the feet.
Here’s a quick test to assess your hip control, and this video gives you some ideas for foot-strengthening exercises. (It says it’s for runners, but these exercises are useful for everyone.)
4. Vary your support as needed
Even people with very flexible feet can often regain enough strength and control to walk barefoot or wear less supportive shoes at times, which, in turn, can help them to build even more strength.
💡 The key to doing this right lies in understanding what good foot posture and control feel like for you and paying attention when you move. Also, pick the right amount of passive support depending on the activity you’re about to do.
For instance, I have very flexible feet, and I can see that my left arch is keen to change shape. But I’ve maintained my arches and foot health since my 20s through a combination of tailoring my footwear to my activities and strength training.
I’ve built enough strength and control to walk around the house and shortish distances outside (a kilometre or two) without much support. But if I try to go for long walks, spend long days on my feet, or go running, I need my orthotics – my muscles simply don’t have the endurance to compensate for my rubbish ligaments when I get tired, and I usually end up with tibialis posterior pain if I push it.
I always wear my orthotics when I know I’ll be on my feet for long periods, doing sport that is likely to exhaust me, or when my sport involves high-impact activities like changing direction or jumping.
Some studies suggest that wearing minimalist shoes with some arch support for short periods during your day can help strengthen your feet and reduce symptoms of plantar fasciitis. These types of shoe might be a good stepping stone if you’re looking to experiment with reducing your support.
5. Don’t make sudden changes
You can’t go from having a lot of support all the time to suddenly walking around or playing sport without any support. Building strength and endurance in your feet takes a long time.
If you’re going to experiment with using less supportive footwear, make sure you first lay the foundations by building good strength and control. Then, start reducing your foot support during low-impact activities like walking, and start with short sessions. And finally, if your feet are happy with that, you can experiment with high-impact activities.
💡 Not everyone can wean themself off their insoles – and that’s OK. Insoles play a very important role in protecting your feet when your body’s passive support system can’t do it on its own.
Bottom line: Whether insoles are “bad” for your feet depends entirely on your body, your goals, and how you use them. The key is to personalise your approach – use support when you need it, and strengthen your body and feet to improve your control.
How we can help
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About the Author
Maryke Louw is a chartered physiotherapist with more than 20 years' experience and a Master’s Degree in Sports Injury Management. Follow her on LinkedIn and ResearchGate.