Hi! I just got orthodics 2 weeks ago and I am having difficulty wearing them all the time. I can wear them maybe up to 4 hours, but after that my feet, ankles & knees become tired and I have to switch to other shoes. Is this normal? Will I ever feel comfortable wearing them all the time? And do they actually alleviate pain? I got orthodics b/c I have little padding left in my feet and b/c my feet wobble around in my shoes alot - so I needed good support.

One day I wore them all day and went shopping for a couple of hours. I cam home and my feet/ankles/knees hurt really bad - and didn't calm down for 3-4 days. Is this normal?

Also, I used to be an active runner and now I can hardly walk. Will I be able to participate in athletics again? If I can't run, I at least want to be able to walk - some form of exercise!

Thanks for your reply!

--Footpain26
--New to Orthodic life!

I have been wearing orthotics for 9 months. It took about a month to get used to. At first it seemed like a rock was under by instep. Now they feel natural.

I think orthotics have retrained my muscles to walk on the balls of my feet. This takes pressure off of the heel and the arch (where I was noticing discomfort).

Don't give up. You need to break them in gradually. Get use to wearing them before you use them for walking any distance.

I've worn orthotics for almost 3 years now. I had to go through 4 adjustments before I could get through a day without problems and pain like you described. Even to this day I can't play sports in them because of the pain. But I can spend a full day in them and it's actually more comfortable than without them. So give it some time but make sure the "flex' and contour is right or they will constantly hurt.