Hi, I'm new on the site. Have been reading your posts and everyone seems really supportive. I have just started the c25k, first day completed, however am in need of advice on trainers for flat feet.
Any suggestions/advice greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Others on here are likely to have experience of this, but I'd say it would be worth your while getting really good running shoes, and talk to someone in a proper running shop for advice. Proper shoes make a surprising amount of difference, they make running much more comfortable, and that means less likelihood of injury, too..
Thank you Raven for the quick reply. Only problem is that our local running shop has closed down and haven't had much success with sports shop staff advice. Nothing for it but a trip to the city. Thanks again.
Well done.. I just did day 1 today too... Tough and very slow...But we did it! I tend to be a bit flat-footed too and have a lot to learn. There's quite a lot on the internet to plough through..Over pronation.. under pronation etc...It's like a foreign language to me. The experts on here will soon give their advice, everyone seems really helpful and encouraging. I went out today to buy a Fitbit and milk lol and came back with a pair of running shoes off the shelf as I had no decent trainers at all and then panicked in case they we totally the opposite of what I needed..But I think I have got away with it as they seem ok... No doubt time will tell. Good luck with the rest of this week. 😀
Well done on starting the programme! How did you find the first runs? We're your feet or knees giving you problems? I would say your best bet is to go to a running shop for gait analysis. In many of them it's a free service and some make a small charge which they deduct from any purchase. I didn't actually have my gait analysis done until I'd plodded my way (on my flat feet) through the whole programme. I rewarded myself with new shoes and was advised on which to go for. The difference has been really fantastic. Used to suffer terribly with shin and calf pain. No more 
Good luck in your search for the right shoes and good luck on your next run. Let us know how it goes
Thank you so McFitty. 1st run wasn't too bad. (I use the term run very loosely.) My dogs thought I had lost the plot!! I did have slight pain in one foot hence my question over trainers but it felt good to actually complete the first day. 🏃♀️
You are likely to have little niggles as your feet/ankles/calves etc., think "hey, what's going on here"?! But they usually settle fairly quickly. Make sure you take your rest days and stretch after each session. Try writing your name in the air with your foot while lying in bed or sitting down, such a simple thing but you'll feel muscles in your feet, ankles, calves and even thighs, saying hello
Indeed I felt a few twinges in strange places, but you are right, they disappeared quite quickly. I have three different pairs of trainers so am going to try each pair and see how they compare. Hopefully they will be grand. Thanks again for your support. Very much appreciated.
I am severely flat footed, never had any arches at all. Before I started C25k I did some reading up on running and flat feet, and learnt that the traditional, heel-strike, running would not be very good on my poor, beleaguered knees and ankles. So I consciously adopted a fore-midfoot running style.
This has had several advantages: the shock of impact on the knees and ankles is minimised; you don't need specialist, corrective running shoes (neutral will do); and I've now got (tiny) arches. YMMV, but might be worth considering.
Happy New Year. My feet are pretty much archless, too, which as others have reported, led to foot and ultimately knee pain on longer runs. Good, supportive shoes are key. A physical therapist friend also pointed me in the direction of corrective insoles for runners, available at most running shops. They slip right into your shoes, providing the appropriate level of arch to reduce the stress on your body and absorb the shock of your foot slapping the pavement. They've totally changed my running experience. These are the insoles I use: superfeet.com/en-us/why-sup.... Good luck!
Thank you Kevin. Am going to a proper running shop next week so hopefully will get good advice and trainers. I will ask about the inserts as well. Thank you for your advice. Everyone is so supportive I really feel I will be able to do this!!
Hi, Have a gait analysis carried out at any good running shop.. there are some shoes recommended for flat feet in the following link, but always make sure you have your size correct which is usually a size bigger than your casual shoe size, so best to get expert fitting..
Another flattie here. So much so that a specialist consultant I saw as a child said they'd never seen such flat feet!
Just be careful if they are very flat. I ended up with Achilles problems, despite wearing orthotic insoles ( custom made as off the shelf ones not butch enough for the degree of flatness!) and had to stop and restart c25k after a break. I had new insoles made and do exercises and this time all seems well.
Gait analysis and a good running shop is definitely the way to go. My insoles were not specifically for running but I wear them all the time as even walking had become a problem. Best £300 ever spent as before that I could hardly move, had Achilles, calf and back pain constantly, needed help getting out of bed in the morning and thought it was just a symptom of growing older. One week after insoles, it all disappeared!
Good luck with your running.
Good Lord jo4t you have been through the mill! Sounds like agony. Thank you for the advice. I intend to go to a running shop next week and see what they say. Everyone on this forum, yourself included, has been so helpful and generous with their time and replies. Very encouraging. I sincerely hope your pain free running continues. Thank you again.
Dear Ardmhaca,
Please 'Look At', the advice, that I have just offered Arnistal- with regard to Flat Feet. I think that you will find it of benefit.
AndrewT
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