I have flat feet as bad as they get. In most shoes walking a few miles can get painful. These shoes give my foot excellent support around the entire foot and the bottom absorbs shock and spreads the weight evenly when the foot comes down. The shoe flexes nicely to allow the foot to flow through the step. The shoe has a removable inside bottom cushion that's removable for people needing custom padding for their foot. As bad as my feet are that isn't necessary for me but it's good to have. I don't know if the padding will last as long as the rest of the shoe. These are excellent walking shoes and I'd recommend them highly.