Foot pain is more common than you might think—and it often shows up in your heel, the ball of your foot, or around your toes. These small areas bear a lot of pressure every day. When something’s off, even just standing or walking around the house can become painful. The good news? With the right combination of custom orthotics and properly fitted shoes, you can find relief and help prevent things from getting worse.
Custom Orthotics: A Targeted Solution for Foot Pain
Custom orthotics are supportive insoles designed specifically for your unique feet. They are created from molds, casting or scans of your feet and are modified in ways to help relieve pressure, improve alignment, and reduce stress on painful areas.
For heel pain, custom orthotics can help with conditions like:
- Plantar Fasciitis: pain at the bottom of the heel, especially first thing in the morning
- Helpful orthotic features:deep heel cup, heel cushion, heel lift
- Heel Spurs: bony growths from long-term stress on foot tissues
- Helpful features:cushioning and shock absorption, rearfoot posting
- Achilles Tendinitis: irritation at the back of the heel
- Helpful features:heel lifts to reduce tension, stabilizing support for proper alignment
For pain in the ball of the foot (forefoot), orthotics may ease:
- Metatarsalgia: general forefoot pain often caused by overuse or pressure
- Helpful features:metatarsal bar, forefoot cushioning
- Morton’s Neuroma: nerve pain or tingling between the toes
- Helpful features:metatarsal pad to spread the bones and reduce nerve pressure
- Hallux Limitus or Rigidus: stiffness in the big toe joint
- Helpful features:Morton’s extension or forefoot support to limit painful motion
A truly custom-made orthotic is built to fit you, with adjustments based on where and how you feel pain.
Properly Fitted Shoes: Just as Important as Orthotics
The shoes you wear matter just as much—if not more—than what you put inside them. Poorly fitting shoes can make almost every foot condition worse, even with good orthotics.
Supportive footwear for heel pain might include:
- Firm heel counter: helps stabilize the heel and reduce strain
- Shock-absorbing soles: soften impact with each step
- Heel or full-length rocker soles: reduce pressure during walking
- Extra depth: allows space for high arches, swollen feet, and hammertoes
Footwear for forefoot (ball-of-foot) pain may offer:
- Wide toe box: gives the forefoot room to spread naturally
- Forefoot rocker sole: reduces bend in stiff or painful toe joints
- Stretchy or seamless uppers: minimize rubbing and irritation over sore spots
- Sidewalls and structure: help prevent foot collapse or excessive motion
A properly fitted shoe isn’t just about size—it’s about matching your foot shape and activity level to the right design.
Simple Steps to Help Prevent Foot Pain
You don’t have to wait for pain to get severe before taking action. There are lots of small changes you can make that go a long way in the future:
- Wear supportive footwear indoors, especially if you have hard floors
- Stretch regularly, especially your calves, arches, and toes
- Switch up your shoesdepending on the activity—don’t use the same pair for everything
- Talk to a professionallike a Pedorthist, Chiropodist, or your family doctor if you are starting to notice pain or changes in your feet
Why See a Canadian Certified Pedorthist?
A Canadian Certified Pedorthist is trained to assess how you walk, identify what’s causing your discomfort, and create a solution that includes custom orthotics, footwear recommendations, and activity modifications. They take a personalized approach—because no two feet (or foot problems) are exactly alike.
Pain in your heels or the balls of your feet doesn’t have to be part of everyday life. With the right support, you can get back to doing what you love—pain free.
