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Everything You Need to Know About Custom Orthotics

Updated: 1 day ago

If you search the internet for "custom orthotics", you’ll find countless articles out there. As a full-service orthotics lab, we here at Forward Motion can give a unique perspective into the industry of custom orthotics.

We gathered as much relevant information as possible into one place so that you can learn all you need to know about custom orthotics.


Article Summary:

- Custom orthotics are a long-term investment in your health. While the cost may be higher than prefab options, it reflects the custom fit, clinical expertise, and long-term benefits that only custom orthotics can provide. They’re made specifically for your unique foot structure and medical needs. - Creating custom orthotics involves a detailed, professional process. This includes a full biomechanical exam, precise casting, and custom fabrication. It's best to work with an experienced podiatrist or provider to ensure proper fit, function, and long-lasting relief. - Custom orthotics are individually crafted for your foot. They offer a level of individualized support and correction that prefab insoles simply cannot match. Custom orthotics are essential for complex foot conditions, but can also benefit anyone dealing with foot fatigue, alignment issues, or standing for long hours. - Custom orthotics are long-lasting and effective. Prefabricated insoles tend to wear down quickly and may offer general support, but they lack the precision and long-term durability of custom devices. For patients looking for real correction—not just cushioning—custom orthotics remain the gold standard.

Table of Contents


The Importance of Feet

Have you ever thought about the important role your feet play in your daily life? We use our feet for long periods of time every day! Our feet are the foundation of our body.


As the limb that is farthest from our brain, people often forget to care for the feet as much as they should. Up to 87% of people have had painful feet at one point in their lives.

Each of your feet contains 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than 120 muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves. These all work together to support the weight of your body, act as shock absorbers, keep you balanced, and push you forward with each stride. – https://www.healthinaging.org/

On average, adults take 4000 - 6000 steps each day. The average person walks more than 100,000 miles in their lifetime. Having foot problems will make it hard to do the things that we need to do and go the places we want to go.

Impacts on the feet will travel up through your leg and into the rest of your body. If your feet are not properly absorbing and distributing this pressure, it will cause injuries in the lower body and torso. This is why it’s so important that feet get the proper care and arch support that they need.


Don’t let foot problems continue. If you experience issues brought on by foot pain and it’s hampering your health and quality of life, it’s time to get help!


What are Custom Orthotics?

A custom orthotic is a device designed to align the foot and ankle into the most anatomically efficient position. They look like insoles, but that is where the similarities end. Custom orthotics are biomechanical medical appliances that are custom-made to correct your specific foot imbalance. They are individually fabricated over a three-dimensional model of your foot.

Orthotics are custom-tailored to each individual according to their symptoms. That means that a runner or athlete that experiences foot pain may receive a certain type of treatment, while an individual with joint pain or inflamed ligaments will receive different orthotics.


If the feet are not aligned properly, it can cause uneven weight distribution that will negatively affect other parts of the body.

When to Consider Orthotics

If you are one among thousands of individuals that regularly experience foot pain, you may want to consider custom orthotics. These devices are designed to relieve pain, reduce stress on your lower limbs, and improve overall function and performance over time.

Custom orthotics work by improving alignment and correcting the mechanical function of your feet. They help position the bones in your feet, ankles, and knees properly, which can reduce strain on muscles and joints, lessen fatigue, and promote more efficient movement.


You don’t need to have a diagnosed foot condition to benefit, either. If your job requires long hours standing or walking—especially on hard surfaces—orthotics can help prevent recurring pain and reduce the risk of future foot problems caused by repetitive stress.


How do Custom Orthotics Work?

Custom orthotics are more than just insoles! They’re medical devices designed to support your feet and improve how your entire lower body moves. They're commonly used to treat a wide range of conditions, including:

  • Plantar fasciitis

  • Flat feet or high arches

  • Knee, hip, or lower back pain

  • Arthritis-related joint pain

  • Complications from diabetes, such as pressure points or poor foot alignment


By supporting the foot’s natural structure and improving alignment, custom orthotics can reduce strain on muscles and joints throughout the kinetic chain (from your feet up through your hips and spine). However, pain relief isn’t the only benefit! Custom orthotics also help to:

  • Correct leg and foot misalignments

  • Improve balance and stability

  • Enhance proprioception (your body's awareness of movement and position)

  • Support proper posture

  • Boost the foot’s natural recoil during motion

  • Absorb impact and reduce shock during walking or running


The key is finding the right type of orthotic that works for your specific situation. Whether you're treating a chronic issue or looking to prevent future problems, a properly selected and fitted custom orthotic can align your body for better movement and long-term support.


What do Orthotics Do?

Custom orthotics work on your feet much like glasses work on your eyes they reduce stress and strain on your body by bringing your feet back into proper alignment. The composite body of the custom orthotic helps to re-align the foot by redirecting and reducing certain motion that takes place during the gait cycle while also providing proper support to the arches.


Custom orthotics will often fit comfortably into your shoes, but occasionally, a slightly larger shoe might be required.

Improve Alignment and Posture

Orthotics are typically designed to ensure that the bones, ligaments, and tendons in your feet and lower legs are positioned properly. This helps to ease pain and stress on the feet and can aid the function of the muscles.

The mechanical properties of foot orthotics help to ensure the correct positioning of the bones in the feet, ankles, and knees. Foot orthotics can also reduce muscular fatigue and may help to promote more efficient muscle performance. Like a house with an unstable foundation, misalignment of the feet will lead to chronic problems that travel upwards through the musculoskeletal system.


Almost everyone has at least some biomechanical abnormality of their foot. If the underlying pathology is not taken care of, you won’t have much success treating foot problems. Custom orthotics correct the root biomechanical problems by redistributing weight in the feet to make the feet more comfortable.


Bio-mechanical Correction

  • Orthotics will completely change the patient’s balance by putting their body into the correct position.

  • Helps to improve musculoskeletal alignment.

  • Increase patient’s proprioception and contact with the ground.

  • Better posture and overall alignment over the entire body.

  • Increase natural elastic recoil and shock absorption by putting the arch into an optimal position for and providing support for flat foot.


Prevent Injury

  • Many foot problems (like hammertoes and bunions) develop over a long period of time.

  • Orthotics will help you relax muscles and decrease the chances of bunions and hammertoes forming.

  • Can also prevent common pathologies like plantar fasciitis and neuromas from developing or keep their symptoms from getting even worse over time.

  • Many patients can get better with custom orthotics without the need for surgery.

  • Patients overcome foot pain and pathologies without surgery cost, trauma, and post-surgery recovery periods.

Custom orthoses are also used preventatively to keep long-term pathologies from having the chance to develop.


If the feet are not aligned properly, it can cause uneven weight distribution that will negatively affect other parts of the body.


Enhance Performance

Each foot endures up to 1.5 times the body's weight while walking, and 3-4 times the weight when running. Feet function as shock absorbers to lessen the cumulative force impact on the body over the course of a day.


People who are active in sports or exercise may find that custom orthotics help to increase endurance, strength, and performance abilities. Orthotics help spread out the contact forces when each foot hits the ground to reduce wear and damage to the skeleton and muscles.

Individuals who are overweight may find that orthotics relieve the additional stress of extra weight from the ligaments in their feet and legs. The use of orthotics can help some people to avoid or prolong having surgery.


Quote:

As I got older and started getting involved in fitness, I started having problems with my feet. In particular, I had been training for a triathlon and a marathon and was having a lot of pain.

I went to see a sports medicine specialist who determined that my feet were very flat (little to no arch). I was custom fitted for a set of hard orthotics that I wear inside my shoes. To say these orthotics changed my life is no hyperbole! I was able to get stronger and fitter and ultimately crossed the finish line of my first triathlon and marathon.

Now I create fitness DVDs and teach fitness online. I wouldn't dream of teaching a class without my custom orthotics! They, along with good supportive shoes are my very most important piece of athletic equipment.


Orthotics Manufacturing

The process of creating a custom orthotic is far more involved than simply pulling a prefab insert off the shelf. Unlike mass-produced insoles, which are manufactured in bulk to fit the average foot, custom orthotics are carefully crafted by hand to meet the unique needs of each individual.


It all starts with a thorough biomechanical assessment—often including a gait analysis, physical exam, and in some cases, 3D scanning or casting. From there, experienced technicians and clinicians design the orthotic based on the patient’s specific foot structure, medical conditions, activity level, and footwear preferences.

Each device is then fabricated with precision materials chosen for their durability, support, and comfort. Adjustments are made throughout the process to ensure optimal fit, function, and long-term effectiveness.


Custom orthotics aren’t just built—they’re engineered for real correction, real comfort, and real life.


Orthotic Materials

Custom orthotics aren’t made from a single piece of foam like most prefabs. They’re multi-layered medical devices, constructed using a variety of materials that each serve a specific function. Every layer plays a role in delivering the right balance of support, flexibility, and comfort based on the patient’s needs.


The main orthotic shell typically provides structural support and determines the orthotic’s rigidity or flexibility. This rigid or semi-rigid layer provides the biomechanical structure needed to realign the foot, redistribute pressure, and correct gait abnormalities.

Mid-layers of padding may add shock absorption, targeted cushioning, or contouring to relieve pressure points. Top covers use materials like leather, suede, or antimicrobial fabrics depending on the level of comfort, moisture control, and durability needed.


What sets custom orthotics apart is the ability to tailor each of these layers to match the patient’s lifestyle, activity level, footwear, and pathology. The result is a device that’s not only medically effective, but also wearable and sustainable for daily life.


Orthotic Shell

The orthotic shell is the foundation of any custom orthotic—and the key element that truly sets it apart from over-the-counter insoles. Each shell is custom-molded to the exact shape of the patient’s foot using a cast, scan, or impression. The custom shells are designed to address specific foot conditions.


The shell is where the prescribing doctor has full control over critical customizations—such as arch height, heel cup depth, orthotic width, and the addition of medial or lateral flanges. These elements are adjusted to meet the needs of each individual patient, whether the goal is stability, offloading, shock absorption, or motion control.


The result is a tailored device that doesn’t just cushion the foot—it actively supports and corrects it, forming the mechanical core of effective orthotic therapy.


Custom Orthotics vs Prefabs






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