Shoe Insoles
 

Hey guys,

anyone have any experience with insoles? im looking to get some because I have high arches and almost all my shoes have either too little, or too much...
thanks for any information and advice in advance.

umm if it helps, any specific brand of insole for running and regular wear and tear would be helpful.

ciao

It might not be such a bad idea to check out an athletic shoe store that can make sure you're wearing the proper shoes. That alone can go a LONG way, and they would be the best people to recommend something, especially for the running. For just everyday, I found Dr. Scholl's activewear with gel heels work well in my tennis shoes - probably added a couple more months of life to them.

thats actually something i hadn't considered...
thank mate, im gonna head over when it opens up on monday and have a look around and ask for some advice.

thanks :thumbsup:

Snowboard and ski boots are infamous for having flatter insoles.

I've since started using some of the salomon Conformable custom footbeds and It's helped my comfort no end.
I'd highly recommend them, just make sure you get them set up by a store techie that knows what they are doing. A podiatrist will be even better.

I highly recommend against any type of insert. There is a shoe out there that will fit you just fine. Try Asics or New Balance, they both cater to higher arches in many of their models. Almost all Nikes are made for "standard" feet but most of their running shoes have a little wedge in the box you can insert under the arch part. Go to a running store, or call Road Runner Sports, they have oodles of running shoes & can help you out. I think you can even still send in a pair of your shoes for $20 or so they will tell you what type of shoe you should wear based on your wear pattern.

Yeah. For road running, a really good store will have a treadmill with a camera and be able to record your running pattern. From this they will prescribe a shoe for you that will remedy any problems you have.

I was having serious heel pain a few months ago, usually after a couple of hours of hardwood volleyball play. I have tried many different insoles, cusion soles, sports soles, Dr. Scholl's, foot massage types. Until I picked up a pair of 2 oz Miracle Insoles from Walmart.

They are ultra light weight compared to most insoles sold on the market. The arch support is quite good although I probably don’t have as high arches as you. If you run a lot, you certainly don’t want heavy insoles. The pair I inserted in my training shoes is about 2 ½ months old now and they are still in great shape. You might want to give them a try. The name is as mentioned above, “2 oz Miracle Insoles”.

What about inserts for regular (as in not for running) shoes? What's so bad about inserts?

I should have made myself a little more clear.

If you go visit a podiatrist, they WILL attempt to sell you $300 inserts for your shoes with a fancy name which escapes me right now. I'll edit the post when I come up with it.

Anyway, inserts like Dr. Scholl's are fine, if they fit. In most cases, the proper shoe will do the trick without anything else. When is the last time you went into a store and saw tennis shoes, runners, or even dress shoes which had a little sign next to them that said "for flat feet" or "standard arch" or "high arch". You don't. I never understood it, because there are lots of people that have high/low arches. If you have a high arch like me, you had best get the right pair of shoes and get your arch supported, as plantar fasciitis, hammertoe, etc. are all things you'll line yourself up for if you don't get it taken care of. The plantar fascia (the tendon connecting the ball of your foot & heel) is meant to be supported along its' entire lenght. When not supported, the above problems have a high probability of happening.

The problem with the insoles/inserts/podiatrist $300 inserts is that you are fixing a problem that wouldn't be there if you bought the right pair of shoes. Switching insoles every time you go from runners to normal tennis shoes to dress shoes is a pain in the ass. Get the right shoe & avoid the problems & extra expense.

For just regular inserts, I do use a pair of the water jobbies in my dress shoes when I do trade shows. Standing for 8 hours a day on a concrete floor with a cheap layer of carpet over it definately gets the dogs barking, so they make it a little nicer.

Just my two cents, but my best advice is start with the right shoes & you won't need ORTHOTICS! That was the word that was escaping me earlier!