Can barefoot running and exercises develop an arch in flat footed persons?

[Bryan]

I'm currently training a flat-footed, running-hater to enjoy running
as much as I do. This person has flat feet, and blames their inability
to run solely on this one genetic (?) trait. Are flat feet genetic?
Can they be cured (McDougall references Alan Webb as someone who
developed an arch). I've known about Alan Webb for years, but never
had I heard that he had flat feet - only that he was a very talented
swimmer who transitioned to the mile.

Any other flat-footers who still are flat-footed or have developed an
arch? Know anyone who has?

Check out the difference in foot-strike pattern on my blog (pictures,
so don't worry, you don't have to read :P).
barefootrunning365.blogspot.com

-Bryan

[Erskien Lenier]

No, but I had one foot the supenated and the other pronated when I was shod runner. Now they are both neutral! 

Erskien Lenier

9800 miles in 3 yrs 98% barefoot on concrete.

[Bryan Baker]

That is a lot of mileage Erskien. Where do you run? What's your history? Why do you run so much?

[Erskien Lenier]

Primarily on pavement.  I've only in the last few months began to run across the valley here and up into the mountains to do fire roads and trails. 

I came from the Sport of Bicycle Road Racing. That season of my life spanned over 23 yrs plus many years before that of mega mileage. My training journals from that season show I logged over 750,000 miles of racing and training. 

About 3 yrs ago kind of like Forest Gump in the movie I one day realized I had zero gas in the tank to turn another pedal. I parked the bike in the garage and 3 weeks later woke up with the inspiration that was to return to running. Something I had backed away from back in the 1970's due to a self destructing right knee.  I got back on the bike back then as it was the only aerobic activity I could do without knee pain. 

I was used to 250-500 mpw on the bike when I parked it. So when I picked up running again (in shoes) I figured if I could get my weekly mileage up to about 125-150 a week that would be about the equivalent to what I was used to in effect.

It only took me about 2 months to be doing 15-18 mpd but I came home with major sore shins, right knee pain and swelling, blisters and started losing toenails. 

By 3 months I decided the pain side of running was not sustainable and started searching out how Ultra Runners got past all that stuff. Not a lot of new or useful information there. Mostly "try this shoe, get orthotics, your running to far to soon kind of thinking."

After exploring the Internet for feed back and insights I began to come across people that were running marathons and beyond sans shoes and reporting they had come from where I was and were now pain and injury free.

So I thought, "Why not!" and researched what were barefoot runners doing besides not wearing shoes that made their feet able to do what shoes obviously couldn't do. That lead me to learn a whole new or actually the original biomechanics of Natural Running. I had to reengineer my whole running gait from the ground up over the span of about 1000 - 1500 miles before I began to feel like I was becoming healthy from the ground up. 

I only use huaraches for extreme conditions like extreme temps that can sear flesh or jagged rocky trails now which only happens a couple times a month this time of the year and where I run. 

I would rather run where I need to go or just to go where I feel inspired to run. I am not a car person at all. I run from and back to my front door.

Did I answer your questions?

Erskien Lenier

[SundhedPerformance.dk]

Hi Bryan

 

From a ”rehabilitation” perspective you have to know that there are 2 types of flat foot.

1.       Structural flat foot – the foot is flat due to the bone structure

2.       Functional flat foot – the foot is flat when standing on it due to poor muscle control and weakness of the muscles controlling the arch of the foot

 

To find out which type it is you can do the following test. Have your client sit on a table (so the feet are hanging free) and see what happens to the arch of the foot. If the person has an arch while sitting but not while standing it is a function flat foot. If the foot arch is flat while sitting on the table it is a structural flat foot.

 

If your client has a functional flat foot it is very reasonable to think that he/her will train his/hers arch muscles from barefoot running and thereby get rid of the flat foot. If it is a structural flat foot nothing much will happen to the arch from barefoot running since it´s a structural problem.

 

If the problem is functional your client will gain great benefit from also doing static single leg balance training (on the ground – no balance board) to help stabilize the foot and get the arch muscles working. Be aware of not progressing barefoot running to fast since your clients feet are in a “bad shape” - if it´s a functional flat foot

 

Have a great day

 

Sincerely

Casper Yde Haastrup

Sports Physiotherapist ∙ CHEK level 2 ∙ HLC level 2

 

[Bryan Baker]

I've been discussing these exact ideas with her over the last couple weeks. Sorry for the late reply - I had a vacation followed by a couple triathlons - I know, poor me.
From what I've gathered from her family history she has inherited flat feet as a structural abnormality rather than the curable "Alan Webb" functional flat foot.

Thanks for your insightful and well articulated reply Casper.

-Bryan Baker