Foot supports are a frequently used intervention for a wide range of foot and leg biomechanical conditions. These are designed and used to fix structural and functional problems. All of the scientific evidence is they are likely to be quite successful and also the patient satisfaction type research shows that they are well received by those that use them. That doesn't mean that they do not have issues. They do have problems. They are able to only be used in a shoe that has the room for the supports to fit into. This implies that they can not be used in certain varieties of sports footwear and some shoes used in certain occupations. Also, in some climates closed in footwear is not very popular because of the temperatures. Some people just have a philosophical objection to foot orthotics because they see them to be unnatural and as crutches that ought to not be used.
Even though foot orthotics are simple and will quickly be designed to work in the short to medium term there are alternate options if users wish to pursue that choice. Exercise therapy is one alternative and muscle strength could be increased and used as an alternative. However, this could take several months to work and it will be a wise decision to make use of foot orthotics to start with as they can help get some good improvement nearly straight away. If footwear is the challenge and it is not possible for economic, occupational, sporting or chosen lifestyle reasons to alter the shoes, then there are options such as the Archie Flip Flops which come from Australia and have a decent amount of arch support constructed in. There are more types of footwear such as these which do have support built in, but the amount is rather smaller compared to the Archies and might not be as helpful. As always it is recommended to speak to your podiatrist as to what they believe is the best option for you.