Pretty much every pair of Sketchers shoes now has memory foam soles and everyone seems to think they are great but I hate them.
They are really hot, the foam is like a layer of insulation.
The top of the memory foam soles is somewhat elastic so it’s really smooth and slippery so your socks slide around inside
They are no more comfortable than regular shoes and in fact I think they provide less arch support since they are squishy compared to shoes with harder foam.
And most of all the memory foam gets smashed and wears out in no time with some shoes having the foam glued in so replacing the insole is impossible.
I just can’t fathom how they are so popular.
Yeah if you've got a diagnosed problem that's a different story. But the average foot doesn't need that support.
There's no such thing as the average or normal foot…the vast majority (around 70%) of people in the United States have been born with or acquired pes planus deformities (flat footed). But in that category you have flexible flat feet, which don't usually require support. And you have rigid pes planus, that do usually require bracing.
You also have to account for age. You for one may not require support right now, but as you age you will acquire arthritis, loss of beneficial range of motion , and probably an excessive range of motion in the medial to lateral plane, allowing for over pronation.
You're claim may be closer to correct if you specified age, weight, and activity level, or specific a foot type.
It is in fact exceedingly rare to see western people who can remain in perfect subtalar neutral while weight bearing, and thus it's fairly rare for people to be active to a late age without sustaining chronic foot and ankle injuries over time.
The reason for that might be the fact that we're been cramming our feet into shoes that ruin them and don't allow the muscles to develop.
Also there can't not be an average.
What muscles would those be? What beneficial range of motion are we limiting to a degree that shoes inhibit healthy muscle growth?
What about athletes whom do not utilize footwear while they perform or practice? Shouldn't we see this optimum foot with dancers or gymnast?
There can be averages for certain age groups…there is no data for overall average, why would you even compile that?