Earthies shoes for flat feet/low insteps?

These booties (Earthies Halley) have everything I want for a dressier black bootie - platform sole, cutout front, chunky heel that I might actually be able to walk in, good arch support, black heel, and a design that is supposed to reduce pressure at the ball of foot.

However, I've heard from some people (including Chrizzle, here, who owns a couple of pairs) that the arch supports in Earthies shoes are best suited to people with high arches and insteps. I have exactly the opposite, very flat arches and low insteps. I do need some arch support and usually add a rigid arch support insert to most of my closed shoes.

So I was wondering whether any ladies with feet like mine have actually worn Earthies shoes? Is the arch support just going to be too high and stiff?

PS - if anyone has any suggestions for other booties that look like this, I'm all ears! Must not have much more than 2.5" heel after adjusting for the platform.

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13 years ago

Vicki

(website)

Veteran

These are really cute and I've got the same flat feet and low insteps as you, so it will be great to get some feedback on this and others that may work for you.

Chrizzle

Active Member

I have one flat foot and one with a higher arch. The higher-arched foot loved the support in both styles of Earthies I've tried (Halley and Cristiana) from the start, but the flat foot wasn't crazy about them at first. However, now that I've broken my Cristianas in, they are comfortable for both feet. The strong arch support in Earthies reminds me of the first pair of custom orthotics I ever got - at first it felt as if I was walking around with lumps in my shoes, but then I got used to them and the extra support relieved foot pain. I wore the Cristianas to work all day for the first time earlier this week, and while they aren't as comfortable as the flat/low heels I usually wear, I wasn't in any pain at the end of the day either - a first for me with a 3-inch heel.

I found the heel height and insole comfortable on the Halleys you picture above, but in the end the toe box was a little too tight for me, so I had to return them. I kept the Cristianas because they are built on the same base as the Halleys but are more comfortable because the peep toe and the softer suede toe box means my toes don't feel squeezed. If you have a narrower forefoot or shorter toes than I do, you may be fine in Halleys once you get used to the unusually high level of arch support.

Edit: And yes, the design definitely takes a lot more pressure off the balls of my feet than other shoes with a similar angle from heel to ball of foot. I did add extra padding in that area because the structure of my foot focuses extra pressure onto the ball, even in flats, and I've got no natural padding on my soles. I need extra padding in most shoes. Here's a photo of me wearing the shoes a couple of weeks ago.

Earthies Cristiana:

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Diana

Chrizzle, I'm glad to hear that they can be broken in for flat feet! Some of my Naots (including the platform sandals which I have been wearing all the time this summer) started out with a very hard arch support as well but have broken in very comfortably, so perhaps there is hope after all. My plantar fasciitis has been acting up lately so a little more arch support than normal is probably a good idea anyway.

Hmm, I have a bunion on one foot but otherwise they are on the narrow side. Sometimes things rub the tops of my toes though, so I guess I will have to try and see. I do usually buy my boots a half size up so maybe that will mitigate any toe squeezage.

I think that's a good idea, perhaps even a whole size up. I got mine a half size up and perhaps another half size might have mitigated the problem, but it might have placed the arch support in the wrong place. If I see a good deal on them in a half size up from the ones I had, I might give that a try because I really liked the style.

(FYI: I edited my previous post to add a little more info about ball-of-foot cushioning.)

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