Can You Join the Military with Flat Feet?

Joining the military is a huge commitment that is almost always a life-defining decision.  Recruits join a strong starting point - the ‘Boot Camp’ which trains in physical strength, stamina, and skill.  

A successful stint in the military will depend on personal commitment, fitness, discipline, and most importantly the skills you gain in the ‘Boot Camp’ right?

Considering to join the army, navy or the marines as a flat-footed person can present some challenges. You'll need to pass through physical screening tests and medical examinations, and if you have symptomatic flat feet, you may not qualify to enlist to join the U.S military.

Symptomatic flat feet means that you have very sore flat feet that cause pain in the feet, ankle, knees, lower legs or even lower back due to overpronation (feet rolling inwards too much). The condition could get worse in some people reducing their ability to walk.

With this in mind, 

Can You Join the Military with flat Feet? 

Yes, you can join. Unlike two decades ago, flat feet are no longer a limiting factor to serve in the U.S military. However, people with flat feet can in 2018 join the military if their condition doesn’t cause pain.

What are flat feet?

These are people with very low or no arches on their feet. There’s no symptom of flat feet. While some people are born with this condition, developing regular arcs in their adulthood, other people develop flat feet as they age.

Injuries and illness such as rheumatoid arthritis, spina bifida, rupture of the posterior tibial tendon and cerebral palsy may be another cause of flat feet. Pregnancy, obesity, and diabetes are also prevalent causes of flat feet.

People with the condition have their feet roll to the inner side when walking or standing (overpronation). A significant indication that you could be developing flat feet is possible swelling and pain in the feet that occur due to strained muscles and connecting ligaments.

The pain that results from flat feet affects the arch of the foot, the calf, knee, hip, lower back, and legs.

Therefore, if you want to join the army and you are a flat-footed person, you'll need a right amount of cushioning and stability from the shoe that you’ll use during your training.

We’ve spent lots of hours in research, analyzing real-world usage of this top five list of traditional stability running shoes that work well with flat-footed runners to come up with data that will help you.

But before we can get down to the specs of the various makes and models of stability running shoes suitable for flat footed people, let’s sum up the benefits of what a stability shoe needs to offer.

Arch Support

Flat-footed people need a substantial amount of arch support.  They need to pick shoes that feature excellent shock attenuation since the natural ‘shock absorbers’ – the arches, are dysfunctional.   

Stability

A flat feet person can literally ‘run out of control.' If you're a flat-footed person, you may fail to understand the constant tripping and falling as you run.

Overpronation is hard to control meaning you need a good pair of shoes for your military training. The footwear for your pick should offer stability and control with a supportive mid-sole that’s not too flexible.

Comfort

Another feature that a flat feet shoe need to feature is an absolute comfort and extra cushioning. You don't want to be weighed down by heavy footwear during your runs in the boot camp.

Traction

A flat-footed person tends to be a little unstable when running and needs shoes that offer excellent traction.

Moisture and Odor Control

Training in the boot camp involves a lot of physical exercises that can be pretty hot and sweaty for your feet.  You’ll need running shoe that will control moisture and odor control. Sufficient

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