Yeah, what he said! I've noticed the trend over the last 20 years towards less supportive footwear, even for sports. I have very high arches and require a lot of support, and I have to reject 99% of what I see in shoe stores. I live in dread of "dress-up occasions" because they mean I have to purchase shoes that I'll suffer in for a few hours and never wear again. I go into places like Marshalls and laugh myself silly over their idea of shoes. Who are all these people who can wear such flimsy footwear? And who the hell is wearing all these 4-inch heels?!

I've not experienced the famous Birkenstocks. Merrells currently work best for me but I still have to use my inserts with them. 15-20 years ago I swore by Avia, but they've done away with arch support. Then I only bought New Balance for a while, but now their shoes tend to encourage pronation toward the inside edge.

I've seen my baby pictures and it looks like I wore shoes most of the time, but they were always orthopedic shoes (until I was 12) to correct a 3/4 club foot. (They worked, too!) Maybe that's why I have an arch where many people have none.

Kim