

However, many sandals on the market don’t provide the necessary support for your foot’s arch or most other parts of the feet, which can lead to pain and even cause blisters due to friction. To simplify your search and learn more about who can benefit from these sandals, we consulted certified podiatrists and rounded up some highly rated and expert-recommended sandals with arch support to consider.Ī supportive sandal with good arch support typically has cushioned, soft footbeds, shock-absorbing soles and a way to be fastened so it doesn’t slide around. SKIP AHEAD Top-rated sandals with arch support What is arch support and who needs it? Ashley Lee, DPM, of the Northern Illinois Foot and Ankle Specialists double board-certified with the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons in foot surgery and ankle and rearfoot reconstruction surgery, noted that having good arch support in shoes “helps to evenly distribute pressure across the bottom of the foot and reduce the load on tendons and ligaments in your foot and around your ankle.” Your foot’s arch has several functions, from supporting your body weight when standing and absorbing shock when your foot hits the ground to helping you spring forward when walking or running. Proper arch support also helps to prevent overpronation (when your foot rolls inward and the arch flattens out while you walk, causing pain) or excess supination (when you place more weight on the outer edges of your foot) and hold the foot in a more anatomical position, all while “supporting the tendons, ligaments and plantar fascia located across the bottom of the foot to prevent stretching and micro-tearing of these structures,” Lee said. Essentially, it’s a necessary option to help reduce and prevent pain.

However, “arch support” is a “very simplified term” and, thus, incomplete, said Michael J. Trepal, DPM, a professor of surgery at the New York College of Podiatric Medicine, where he also serves as vice president for academic affairs and dean.

Trepal emphasized the foot’s complex structure: “What we view as the arch is actually the configuration of how the 26 bones, 30 joints and more than 100 muscles, ligaments and tendons in each foot articulate and work together to, among other things, support body weight, attenuate stresses and propel the body forward in an efficient manner,” he explained. Interestingly, the foot’s shape changes during the walking cycle, and too much or too little motion can be detrimental.
