Anti-Pronation

This is a term popularized by shoe companies at some point after flat feet were deemed a physical limitation. Once it became known that you were disadvantaged by having flat feet, shoe manufacturing began to attend to this issue by developing footwear that blocked pronation. The intention might have been to promote better foot position, but it may have been a narrow view of the mechanics the foot actually needs in order to move us through the world.

Flat feet can be both performance enhancing, as well as a limiting factor.

Pronating is a normal movement pattern for any foot, in fact, pronation must occur somewhere as we move. There are folks with higher arches and those with flatter feet, biasing their movements to a particular strategy, but the requirements remain. As our foot strikes the ground it is in a more supinated position. Supinating being the opposite position, or, having a higher arch. Once we begin loading the foot in a stance position, the arch drops and pronation develops. The pronated position is where the elastic energy is stored in connective tissues prior to lift-off. That storage propels us forward into the next swing phase.

There is nuance to how we move, and every person requires an individualized assessment to determine their movement needs.

Those with a more pronated foot type have less time to achieve maximal energy storage, as they are closer to lift off from the beginning. They live in a place where they are prepared to sprint or jump at a moment’s notice. In fact, many high-level athletes have a foot that is flatter than most, because they do not have the time to wait for their arch height to diminish before they move, they must go in an instant. Anti-pronation footwear forces the foot to supinate and increases the time it takes to push into the ground. Now, this may be a useful strategy, however not in all cases. If we are in a position to take more time to achieve a desired foot position, as in going for a walk then a reduction in pronation may be doable. If we need to move quickly and push into the ground forcefully, slowing that process down may become a detriment.

Shoe wear is important, and depending on the activity we are performing we may select for a different pair of shoes. For everyone to wear anti-pronation shoes due to an incorrect assumption about flat feet is missing the bigger picture. There is nuance to how we move, and every person requires an individualized assessment to determine their movement needs.

Austin Ulrich, Physical Therapist