

then you probably need a bit more than some heel pillows.Ī differently shaped insole can change your walking gait and your standing posture which, in turn, can drastically reduce the pain you feel at the end of the day. If, however, at the end of the day your arches are aching, your back hurts, you have shooting pain in your legs, etc. Cushioning insoles tend to be the cheapest, and most good brands will provide you with relief. So before buying a pair of insoles, ask yourself, are you looking for extra cushioning, or more support? If your heels or the balls of your feet are sore after spending a day walking or standing on a hard floor, you probably just need some extra cushioning. They could have been the wrong firmness, had the incorrect height of the arch, etc. Now, they didn’t hurt your feet because they were bad insoles – you just bought the wrong ones! The chances of grabbing a pair of insoles without doing some research beforehand and having them work are very very low. They come in any variety from dollar store foam options to custom orthotics that cost hundreds of dollars.īut, if you’ve ever strolled down the aisle at a local store and just grabbed a random pair to stick in your shoes, they probably hurt your feet worse than having no insole at all! It may come as a surprise that there are many different types of insoles. They replace worn-out insoles to give a shoe new life and usefulness (I’m cheap and try to bring my shoes back from the dead).They can provide additional support if your shoe has insufficient support for your foot shape (maybe you have either flat or super high arches).Insoles can add comfort to shoes that have insufficient padding (like most men’s and women’s dress shoes).Whether you call them insoles or inserts (there’s no difference, really…), there are several common problems that can be solved. Well luckily for us, there is a single solution that can fix almost every shoe problem!Īs long as your shoe is the right length and width, finding one of the best insoles for overweight people can turn your sad, toe-crushers into a pair of Rolls Royces! If you’re on your feet all day, standing on concrete, or just wearing poor shoes you are probably wishing you could strap some pillows to the bottom of your feet. “The items that you get at Walmart or CVS are never going to be able to address your problems,” she says.Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API Lagana suggests seeing a podiatrist before buying insoles, because wearing the wrong type can make your foot problems worse. Thus, they last for 3 to 4 years when worn daily.”ĭr. Custom orthotics are made from different layers of the super high density foam called polypropylene and EVA. Over-the counter insoles will last 6 to 9 months typically. For dress shoes, boots, and activity-specific shoes, such as soccer cleats and tennis shoes, I advise seeing a podiatrist to get fitted for a pair of custom orthotics, which are thinner and may be placed over insoles in dress shoes. However, depending on the shoe and activity type, prefabricated inserts (also known as over-the-counter orthotics) may not always be sufficient because of their thickness. “Insoles should be used in all walking, running, activity shoes. There are so many different types and brands of insoles that choosing can be a challenge, says podiatrist Nelya Lobkova, DPM, of Step Up Footcare in New York City.

“Over 40 percent of adults in the United States-and I was one of them-are wearing the wrong size shoe,” she says. Lagana recommends getting measured at a brick-and-mortar store. It’s essential to have the correct-fitting shoe before even talking about getting arch supports.” To confirm your shoe size, Dr. Lagana, DPM, a podiatrist at UMass Memorial Health, says, “Many times a patient’s problem is not because they need arch supports it’s more because they are wearing the wrong shoes or the wrong size shoes. The first rule of wearing supportive insoles is to make sure you truly need them.
