Black people do have flat feet at significantly higher rates than other ethnic groups, and the reason comes down to inherited differences in bone structure. A study in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that 34% of African Americans in a multiethnic community sample had flat feet, compared to about 18% of non-Hispanic White adults. A separate study of U.S. Military Academy cadets found an even starker gap, with 91.7% of Black participants classified as having low arches compared to 73.3% overall. These numbers reflect real, measurable anatomical differences in the bones that make up the foot’s arch.
The Bone Structure Behind It
Your foot’s arch is shaped by the angle and alignment of several bones, particularly the heel bone (calcaneus) and the bone that sits on top of it connecting to the ankle (talus). Researchers measure something called calcaneal pitch, which is essentially the tilt angle of the heel bone relative to the ground. A lower angle means a flatter arch.
A radiographic study comparing foot X-rays across 126 patients found that African Americans have a significantly lower calcaneal pitch than both Caucasian and Hispanic individuals. They also showed differences in other bone angle measurements. These aren’t soft tissue differences or muscle weakness. They’re skeletal variations, meaning the bones themselves are shaped and positioned in a way that produces a lower arch. This is an inherited trait, much like height or limb proportions, passed down genetically through populations.
Flat Feet Are Usually Flexible and Painless
Most flat feet in Black populations, and in general, are what’s called flexible flat feet. This means the arch disappears when you stand and bear weight but reappears when you sit down or stand on your toes. Flexible flat feet are typically asymptomatic. They don’t cause pain during normal daily activity, though they can occasionally become sore after long walks or intense exercise.
This is different from rigid flat feet, where no arch is present in any position. Rigid flat feet usually result from bone or joint disorders and can lead to pain, difficulty wearing shoes, and problems with movement. Rigid flat feet are far less common and aren’t what’s driving the higher prevalence numbers in Black populations. The vast majority of people with genetically lower arches have the flexible type and experience no functional problems.
How Children’s Arches Develop
All babies are born with flat feet. The arch develops gradually through childhood as the fat pad under the foot thins out and the bones, ligaments, and muscles mature. By around age six to eight, most children have a visible arch. Research has noted that a higher incidence of flatfoot persists in Black children compared to other groups as they grow, consistent with the inherited skeletal differences seen in adults. This doesn’t indicate delayed development or a problem. It reflects the same bone geometry that shows up on adult X-rays: a naturally lower calcaneal pitch that runs in families.
Does It Affect Athletic Performance?
A common concern is whether flat feet limit athletic ability. Research from Duke Kunshan University tested this directly by having female volleyball and basketball players jump on and off a force plate, which measures the forces your foot generates during movement. The athletes included those with two flat feet, one flat foot, and no flat feet.
The researchers found no significant difference in performance between the groups. Athletes with flat feet appeared to compensate naturally by adjusting their landing and jumping mechanics. As the lead researcher explained, when the body senses a structural difference, it adapts movement patterns to maintain power output. From a biomechanics standpoint, foot anatomy does play a role in how the body stores and releases elastic energy during explosive movements like jumping and sprinting. But in practice, athletes with low arches perform comparably to those with higher arches.
When Low Arches Can Cause Problems
While flat feet are usually harmless, they do shift how forces travel through your legs. People with lower arches tend to have a higher tendency for the ankle to roll inward (overpronation), which over time can contribute to shin splints, knee pain, or plantar fasciitis in some individuals. The military cadet study found that Black participants not only had lower arch height but also greater inward ankle tilt, a measurement associated with overpronation.
This doesn’t mean flat feet inevitably lead to injury. It means that if you do experience foot, ankle, or knee pain, your arch type is worth considering as a contributing factor. Supportive footwear, insoles designed for low arches, and strengthening exercises for the muscles along the inner foot and calf can reduce strain. Most people with flat feet never need any intervention at all.
Genetics, Not a Deficiency
The higher prevalence of flat feet in Black populations is a normal anatomical variation rooted in skeletal genetics. It’s comparable to differences in hip width, torso-to-leg ratio, or bone density that vary across ethnic groups. The heel bone sits at a lower angle, the arch sits closer to the ground, and for the large majority of people this causes zero symptoms or limitations. Framing it as a disorder misrepresents what the data actually shows: a population-level difference in foot shape that rarely requires treatment.