When weight bearing, the longitudinal arch of the foot drops, and the ankle rolls inward.

The Longitudinal arch of the foot can be broken down into several smaller arches:

The arches are categorized as transverse and longitudinal arches of the foot.

The longitudinal system controls the longitudinal arches of the foot, whilst the transverse system controls the splay of the forefoot.

Complete rupture or surgical release of the plantar fascia leads to a decrease in arch stiffness and a significant collapse of the longitudinal arch of the foot.

The plantar calcaneonavicular ligament helps to maintain the medial longitudinal arch of the foot and by providing support to the head of the talus bears the major portion of the body weight.

The sole and the longitudinal arch of the foot are supported by a thick connective tissue, the plantar aponeurosis, the thin borders of which blend with the dorsal fascia of the foot.

A 1991 study found that children who wore shoes were three times more likely to have flat feet than those who did not, and suggested that wearing shoes in early childhood can be detrimental to the longitudinal arch of the foot.

Because of the relationship to the metatarsophalangeal joints, the interossei muscles also contributes to maintaining the anterior metatarsal arch of the foot and also, to a limited extent, to the medial and lateral longitudinal arches of the foot.