People have been excused military service on account of flat feet and they seem to run (no pun intended!) in my family.

The truth of the situations that most people’s feet have a gap where the inner part of their foot (the arch) is raised off the ground when they stand. The height of this arch varies.
Some people’s feet, however, (like mine) have a low arch or no arch at all, which is referred to as flat feet or fallen arches.

When someone with flat feet stands, their inner foot or arch flattens, and the foot may roll over to the inner side (known as over-pronation). See Flat feet - symptoms for more information.

Some people with flat feet never have any trouble or pain. Others may suffer from aching feet, or find that it puts a strain on the connecting ligaments and muscles, which causes pain in the leg joints when walking.

Flat feet can run in families(Excuse the pun!) It can also result from a problem such as arthritis or a ruptured tendon but it is usually not necessary to see your GP or podiatrist about flat feet.

Wearing supportive well-fitting shoes can relieve any aching caused by flat feet, and insoles and orthotics can take pressure and pain away from the foot arch if your feet over-pronate. Surgery is generally not helpful for most people with flat feet.

The symptoms of flat feet vary depending on how severe the condition is.
Some people may find that their weight is distributed unevenly, particularly if their foot ‘rolls’ to the inner side (known as over-pronation). This is often apparent if the heels of shoes wear out quickly and unevenly. Over-pronation can damage your ankle joint and Achilles tendon (tendon at the back of your ankle).

People with flat feet may have stiffness in the foot and pain in any of the following areas:the inner side of the ankle, the arch of the foot, the calf,the knee,the hip or even the back.

Wearing supportive well-fitted shoes can relieve any aching caused by flat fee and if your feet roll or over-pronate, then a specially fitted insole or orthotic (supportive device) can take pressure and pain away from the arch. However, an orthotic only helps when it is worn in the shoe, and the benefits only last while you are actually wearing the device.

A flat foot caused by a ruptured tendon or arthritis can often be treated with painkillers and an insole. If painkillers and an insole do not help a flat foot caused by a ruptured tendon or arthritis, surgery may be needed to straighten the foot. Surgery to straighten the foot or separate the fused bones may be necessary for children who are born with a flat foot due to the bones not developing properly. However, this condition is rare.
Surgery is generally not helpful for most people with flat feet.