What shoes would you recommend for flat footed runner experiencing knee pain?

Question

I'm 6'2", 225 lbs (okay, 30 lbs over weight), flat footed, and a new runner. I experience excruciating knee pain on the inner sides of my knees when I run. I tried the Saucony ProGrid 7 Moderate shoes but still have the pain. Seeing as though my running store put me in a moderate control shoe over a neutral shoe, I assume I am an overpronator. Could anyone make any recommendations? Would strengthening work help with the ligaments around my knee? A more controlling shoe? I've already picked up Archmold Maximum inserts for increased arch support.

Anyone experience this? Any recommendations?

Answer 1

dogz2196 raises good points and for the most part I agree with her.  But your question is specifically for which shoe to buy.  Your description of your Saucony shoe is missing something, because I don't know if your current shoe is the ProGrid Omni 7 Moderate or the ProGrid Omni 7 Ultimate (both stability shoes) or some other model.

But based on what you say, if you're in a "moderate control" shoe like one of the above two, usually known as a stability shoe, my guess is that you probably need to be in something more, a motion control shoe.  Going to the Saucony website's "shoe advisor", you can enter your arch type (flat) and pronation (try moderate or extreme, since you need more motion control than what you have), and you'll come up with the Grid Stabil 6.  Of course, there are other Saucony models out in cyberspace from last year and earlier which they are no longer promoting on their web site, which you may find on the web at closeout prices, and I feel these models are probably just about as good.  Just be sure to look for a motion control shoe to try this time around.  If you want to stay with Saucony, the Grid Stabil 6 or similar predecessor would be a good shoe for you to try.

If you are open to other shoe manufacturers, the Brooks Beast is a time-tested excellent choice for heavy guys who need motion control.

I like Saucony and New Balance a lot because unlike many running shoes, they come in a variety of widths, which is useful if you've got a wide or narrow foot.

When you drop some pounds, you may find that you no longer need the most extreme amount of motion control that you can get, but for now, having those extra pounds hammering away on your flat feet will continue to make your knee torque painfully when your flat foot hits the ground and rolls inward.  That's your goal, to try to control the amount of pronation (probably overpronation) in your foot, because this is what's causing the undue pressure on your knee.  Look at your knee as your foot hits the ground and rolls inward (pronates), and you'll see your knee twisting to the inside.  You'll find a ton of stuff on the web addressing running biomechanics for the flat foot, including the statistic that when running, your foot hits the ground with 3x the force, meaning that your flat foot isn't just supporting 225 pounds, it's more like 675 pounds bearing down on your flat foot and torquing knee.  No wonder your knees hurt!

I had the exact same situation as you, except for the excess weight, and I waited too long and developed serious knee pain and problems.  It was the knee pain that finally sent me off to the podiatrist for the first time, and I got custom orthotics which really helped me a lot, although it was awhile before my knees got to the point that I could run again.  Listen to your body and don't let it get as bad as I did, because I still have to pamper my knees.  I would recommend a visit to the podiatrist, and consider getting custom orthotics if a more conservative response (shoes with more motion control and over the counter arch supports like the ones you've bought) isn't enough.

Besides the custom orthotics and paying attention to getting the right running shoe, my podiatrist gave me an exercise to do daily, which anyone can do in their own home.  Obviously, if you think about the muscles involved, if you have access to a gym, you'll know the machine to use which accomplishes the same result with a more convenience and padding, but all you really need is a bucket filled with something heavy, like books or bricks.  Sit on a high enough surface (I used my kitchen countertop) and with the handle of the bucket on the top of your foot, lift the bucket with your foot until your knee is fully extended, with your leg straight out in front of you, then lower it down slowly.  Repeat until you've strengthened the affected muscles.  You'll feel this strengthening the muscles surrounding your knee.  This should help your knee to track better.

Feel free to write if you need more info.  As soon as you're able to correct the underlying issues causing your pain, you should be able to get back on track and lose the wieght you want.  Good luck!

Answer 2

I was flat-footed and started experiencing the same sort of knee pain about 1-2 years ago.

The best solution is going to see a podiatrist (foot doctor) and get them to analyse you and your feet and they will be able to make recomendations about what shoes to get and if you need orthotics, they will work a lot better than Archmold Maximum inserts. If you are getting pain like you are, you proabably will need them, but trust me, it's worth it. Although my knees still sometimes pain me if i am not wearing supported shoes, otthotics have greatly improved my arch and really decreased the pain i used to get from running.

On the topic of shoes, when you are flat-footed, here are some tips:

# Wear wide fitting shoes.

# Do not try to treat the secondary lesions (i.e corns) yourself.

# Purchase high quality insoles/ orthotics to take pressure and pain away from the arch

The shoes you already have sound OK, but i'm not an expert and i'm not sure how they fit you. Ask the podiatrist about this and they will be able to recommend good shoes for you. Anyway, the shoes may not be the problem. I had the best shoes i could find and my cross-country coach and my podiatrist said they were perfect for my feet. However my knees still got sore without the orthotics.

I'm not sure about strengthening work, so again, ask the podiatrist.

I hope this has answered your question and your knees get better. Good luck!!!