I can't believe we are still talking about this. There was a thread years ago where Rip recommended the arch supports. I went out and purchased them and it was one of the best things physiologically I could have done. Got rid of both some Achilles tendonitis and IT band pain.
Of course I wish I had this article at time because I got them from the podiatrist supposedly covered by insurance and then got a bill for hundreds of dollars. There are now places that make custom arch supports for reasonable prices. Even though I have health insurance I would definitely use one of those places if I ever need a new pair. I wish we had a list of recommended stores because it's very easy to get ripped off if you've never purchased them before (as my experience clearly demonstrate)