There are two simple ways you can do to check out if you have flat feet or arch problems:  1)  If you are getting out of a swimming pool, for instance, and walk across the pavement you might notice that your arches are different.
 You may look at one foot and see that you do not have an arch at all.
   2) If you put your bare feet in a pan of water at home, or when you get out of the bathtub, and you put some brown paper, like a shopping bag, down on the ground and then just step into it.
 You will be able to see if you have a medium or a very high arch or a flat arch which would be a flat foot.
   People who have flat feet have a tendency to roll their knees inward.
 So, if you don't have arches of your own, the problem is that it creates a lot of strain on your ankles, on your knees and your hips and may cause your posture to pitch or to fall forward - that is why we want to have arches even if we have to supply them outside our body.
  And, sometimes our feet are in pain and we wonder what is going on.
 On my left foot I was having trouble with swelling and was painful to walk.
 The doctor ordered me to have an X-ray and MRI and the results were that I had what was called fallen arches.
 They immediately custom-built my insoles and I wear them all day, every day to relieve the pain and swelling.
 It strains the muscles of your feet and calves when your arches collapse.
   You can buy an arch support over the counter; however, it is recommended to go to a foot doctor and get the proper insoles specifically designed for your foot.
 You may be wasting money by purchasing insoles "off the shelf" at your drug store.
 Some of them are good and some are too flat.
   Some of the running shoe stores have a type of metal arch support.
 You can get a insole type that is plastic with a soft cover.
 What happens with those is that they are flexible to walk in but you can put them in boiling water and fit them exactly to your feet.
   When you are looking for the arch support to put into your shoes you are looking for something that fits YOUR arch.
 People don't always have the same length arch.
 Just because you wear shoe size 6 doesn't mean the insoles for a woman size 6 is going to work for you.
 You might have to wear an arch that says Men's size 8 because you have a longer arch than most people.
 So, just because it says a size doesn't mean that it will fit you properly.
   Arch supports are going to move your knees, your hips, and your ankles all into the positions they should be in and they are going to help you prevent future pain.