What my family’s experience reinforced is that the body adapts—and those adaptations look different for everyone. My dad’s bilateral pronation created repetitive strain through his lower legs, contributing to chronic shin splints. His goal wasn’t athletic performance, but comfort and longevity so he could continue walking pain-free. My brother’s right-sided pronation placed abnormal rotational stress on his knee. With an upcoming walking-intensive vacation, stability and endurance were essential. For me, the compensation showed up at the hip during running. Same root cause. Different joints. Different demands.
This is why custom orthotics matter. Over-the-counter inserts may offer cushioning, but they don’t address asymmetry or individual foot structure. Foot Levelers custom orthotics are designed to support all three arches of the foot and provide personalized stability, reducing excessive pronation and abnormal stress traveling up the kinetic chain. For my dad, that support could reduce shin strain. For my brother, it could ease knee stress and improve walking tolerance. For me, it allowed my adjustments to hold and my running to remain pain-free. The most important lesson from this journey is simple: the absence of foot pain does not mean the feet aren’t the problem.
Instead of asking, “Where does it hurt?” a better question may be, “What is my body compensating for?” Often, the answer starts at the foundation—your feet.