The Flat Feet Diaries

I never realized I had flat feet until my mid-20s. The signs were there. I never really enjoyed running because my feet would always hurt. I loved swimming in high school and college and did laps as my exercise. Instead of walking, I would put in miles on my bike.

I first learned I had flat feet in a chiropractor’s office. I complained that my back was stiff, and the Oakland chiropractor bluntly told me, “you have abnormally flat feet.” I was taken aback, but I did not make any substantial effort to fix it.

I was commuting from Oakland to SF, so I was always moving. I powered through into the pandemic with some foot discomfort daily.

When the pandemic started, I wasn’t commuting as much since our office shut down. The discomfort subsided. When I did hike, I usually had my hiking shoes.

My pain started late last year again, and I knew something had to change. I was commuting to downtown SF which required some commuting and walking.

I went to Sports Basement and looked for some cool shoes since I needed a new pair. Vero had some dope On Running Cloud shoes, and I wanted a pair just like them. We were hesitant to visit the store since it was closing soon. However, the staff still helped me. They measured my feet but were taken aback by my flat feet.

They told me I have some of the flattest feet they have ever seen. They picked out some Asics that weren’t my first choice and said these are the ones for you. They felt nice to walk and run in. In the end, I bought a pair, but the shoes didn’t feel like me.

Flat Feet individuals tend to need arch support from shoes. In my case, I need the shoes to have strong arch support, which limits my shoe options.

The shoes felt great, and I felt better, but I wouldn’t say I liked putting them on. Who knows where they are now? My hunch is that my mom donated them away when I visited San Diego and left them behind.
I defaulted back to my Nikes, and fashion won.

All was great until I started commuting to work again. My back started hurting again, and some of my symptoms appeared again. Frustrated, I went to REI this time and got some brighter shoes that felt more like me. I bought some Brooks Running shoes.

The Brooks Running shoes felt great, and I started to jog again with minimal pressure on my feet.

Recently, I went to Running Renegade with Veronica. I wasn’t planning on buying new shoes, but these bright yellow Hoka’s spoke to me.

They also had the built-in arch support that I needed. When I first put on the Hoka’s…wow! I was like, is this what ordinary people feel like when they walk?

These Hoka’s are my favorite shoes ever. I use them as my daily running shoes, so I need to buy more of them once my budget allows.

One of my goals this year is to get more active. Running and jogging is an essential component of that plan. As I work on building a running and jogging routine, I 100% recommend getting the right shoes. It makes a huge difference, and I regret not doing it earlier.