Definitely go and try shoes out at a specialist shop, ideally with video gait analysis equipment - if your orthotics provide all the correction you need then there is a school of thought that says you should be able to wear them in a neutral shoe.
However, some say they work best in a stability shoe as the soft cushioning on the inner side of the heel of cushioned shoes won't support the orthotic and still cause you to overpronate i.e. you need an effective medial post in the shoe.
Other people swear by using them with motion ocntrol shoes.
At the end of the day you have to find what works for you - speak to the person who made your orthotics for their advice then get down to your local store to try some shoes out.
My physio once said about orthotics - it really doesn't if you do still overpronate to some degree even with the orthotics as our bodies can actually cope with some overpronation, and some more than others e.g. people of african origin can overpronate loads and loads and have no injury problems because their connective tissue, tendons etc are so much stronger. The important thing is that whatever your level of overpronation, you can tolerate it without injuring yourself.
Hope that helps!
Posted: 28/11/2006 at 19:41
