General fitness, health and nutrition · Public discussion

Insoles

Started by Mike Mason · · Last activity · 45 posts · 735 views

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General fitness, health and nutrition
Published
18 September 2007
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24 September 2007
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Mike Mason
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  1. There are two more things I'll add on the subject of non-mouldable
    Superfeet versus the Sole Ultras (and other mouldable insoles that are
    available in the US, but not here):

    - Firstly, the cheaper Superfeet are just an approximation of a
    hypothetical Mr Average Foot would get using the much more expensive
    mouldable Superfeet. Superfeet/foot itself feels that you should be
    using a moulded insole to get the best result (from their own website:
    "It is an improved fit over the Trim To Fit Green because it is custom
    molded directly to your foot, personalizing the product's shape to the
    shape of your foot. Customizing the product to the bottom of your foot
    offers a higher level of biomechanical support and function with
    increased comfort."😉 You get the same sort of result from a Superfeet
    fitting machine and home mouldable insole because both work on the
    principle of getting you to stake a stance that puts you into a
    neutral balanced position while your foot is placed on a somewhat
    resistive mouldable medium (aka "a squishy thing"😉.

    - Secondly, Superfeet say that if your feet are decidedly non-average
    (and good luck knowing - how many people's feet have you looked at?)
    then an off the shelf standard Superfoot will need modification to fit
    correctly: e.g.

    http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Footwear/Footbeds%20and%20Insoles/Superfeet%20Green%20Synergizers/Owner%20Review%20by%20Mark%20A.%20Keskes/

    "I would highly suggest that a new buyer have someone actually size
    his or her feet at the store. My reasoning is that I had a boot
    fitter size my feet at the store. He told me that my arch length is
    shorter than the normal population and a modification needed to be
    done to the insole to help it work for my feet better. He was a
    specialist that had received training from Superfeet regarding their
    insoles, he also told me, and I verified on the website that not all
    stores that sell the insoles have people who have been trained by
    Superfeet. "

    That's not to say the Superfeet are a bad product - until the newer
    generation of insoles arrived, and if they happened to fit your foot
    shape, they were probably the best one you could get a reasonable cost
    - but they are out-dated now. A mouldable like the Sole gives you what
    you get from the high-end mouldable Superfoot, but at a much lower
    cost. There's a money back guarantee, so personally I don't see the
    risk. (

    If you do decide to go with the non-mouldable Superfeet (and honestly,
    I don't know why anyone would, as they're just a less satisfactory
    attempt at doing what the later insoles do - they're not even cheaper
    than Soles) ***strongly consider making a journey to a store with a
    qualified Superfeet fitter to buy them.*** Checking first that the
    store is willing to make that level of effort if you're buying insoles
    only. This guy will probably be their best boot fitter and a scare
    resource at busy periods, so especially if you're not buying boots it
    will help to go at a slow time - and be much fairer to them.
    Obviously, take your boots along.

  2. Quoted message said:

    Oh - so when you return to natural surfaces, as you do when you go
    hiking, you go barefoot?

    Highly disingenuous, because my feet have lost their conditioning
    for natural surfaces (mainly the way the muscles in the base of the
    foot help it adapt to rough surfaces). However, the infrastructure
    to take conditioning is still in there.
    Having said that, on soft sand I much prefer to be barefoot over
    wearing any fotwear, and over grassy meadow too.

    Quoted message said:

    Most of us wear boots. In fact, when carrying
    a pack most of us wear boots with a steel or nylon shank, which is a
    MUCH greater modification of our biomechanics than any insole.

    That is increasingly deprecated. I now only wear boots if I need
    crampons or skis, and it's a growing trend as more and more people
    find the support they need is well provided for by bnes, tendons
    and muscles.

    Quoted message said:

    I also note the you say Superfeet green: this is just an attempt to
    provide the same sort of support as the more recent more advanced
    mouldable insoles, but "averagized".

    The question I am asking is the extent to which moulding the sole
    to my feet is helpful.

    Quoted message said:

    Except that you're also competing for food resources with your
    offspring and reducing the mobility of the tribe: go away and die
    already.

    Nice theory, but for time immemorial humans haven't been in the
    habit of killing off their elders. Rather, they tend to appreciate
    and respect them, especiaslly as they can help so much with their
    children's children who are born ridiculously premature because of
    the pelvis problems you've already noted...

    Quoted message said:

    It all depends ***how*** they are supported, I would suggest.

    And I would agree. Now, does sinking my foot into a home-moulding
    sole guarantee that they will be supported in a beneficial way?

    Quoted message said:

    Hmm. I think I have the right to be a little testy here as I never
    advanced the "they worked for me so they'll work for everyone"
    argument - any more than you did, presumably, when you said that
    Superfeet work for you.

    I am not suggesting you did, so please calm down. I am wondering
    if I should assume they may well work for me /because/ they are
    mouldable (as opposed to, say, jacking up some individual part of
    my foot), nothing more, nothing less.

    Quoted message said:

    I don't even see any evidence
    that you've bothered to google for references on gait biomechanics or
    relevant medical studies.

    A fair point, but please note that I'm asking, not telling, so why
    not make life a little easier and post me some references to what
    you see as wheat rather than chaff?

    <snip>

    Quoted message said:

    And hey, at least with the Soles
    you get your money back if you don't like them - I don't see any
    mention of this with the Superfeet.

    30 day money back guarantee, trumpeted about the place anywhere
    I've ever seen them for sale... Some places seem to do 60 day.

    Pete.
    --
    Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
    Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
    Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
    net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

  3. Quoted message said:

    If you do decide to go with the non-mouldable Superfeet (and honestly,
    I don't know why anyone would, as they're just a less satisfactory
    attempt at doing what the later insoles do - they're not even cheaper
    than Soles)

    In my case, Superfeet's marketing specifically notes their use in
    over-pronation control, AFAICT so far the Soles doesn't. My only
    particular foot problem (but I get it in spades) is over-pronation. The
    standard ones seem to help, the custom moulds are a bit pricey, I most
    commonly wear sandals where (a) I don't appear to suffer from the same
    problems I get in shoes and (b) even if I did, they don't take footbeds.

    So in my case at least, that's why I would.

    Pete.
    --
    Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
    Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
    Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
    net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

  4. In message <[email hidden]>, Peter Clinch
    <[email hidden]> writes

    Quoted message said:
    Quoted message said:

    If you do decide to go with the non-mouldable Superfeet (and honestly,
    I don't know why anyone would, as they're just a less satisfactory
    attempt at doing what the later insoles do - they're not even cheaper
    than Soles)

    In my case, Superfeet's marketing specifically notes their use in
    over-pronation control, AFAICT so far the Soles doesn't. My only
    particular foot problem (but I get it in spades) is over-pronation. The
    standard ones seem to help, the custom moulds are a bit pricey, I most
    commonly wear sandals where (a) I don't appear to suffer from the same
    problems I get in shoes and (b) even if I did, they don't take footbeds.

    So in my case at least, that's why I would.

    Pete.

    I haven't used Soles so I can't comment on how they perform. Like Pete
    over-pronation is the reason I want more supportive footbeds than those
    found in most footwear. I have used Custom Fit and standard Superfeet
    for a decade now and have found them excellent. I've also tried
    mouldable and standard Conform'able footbeds and found these good,
    though they don't feel as comfortable as Superfeet. However I know
    people who find them more comfortable than Superfeet.

    I can't see anything in the description of Soles that makes me think
    they are an advance on Superfeet or Conform'able. The website does
    mention "arch support", which suggests they might help with
    over-pronation, the main reason for using Superfeet, but as Pete says no
    claim is made about this. Cushioning is mentioned and it may be that if
    you want cushioning rather than foot stabilisation from footbeds then
    Soles are better than Superfeet. I would rather have cushioning built
    into my footwear however and footbeds that support and stabilise my
    feet.

    --
    Chris Townsend

    http://www.christownsendoutdoors.co.uk

  5. Chris Townsend said:

    I can't see anything in the description of Soles that makes me think
    they are an advance on Superfeet or Conform'able. The website does
    mention "arch support", which suggests they might help with
    over-pronation, the main reason for using Superfeet, but as Pete says no
    claim is made about this.

    I'm suffering from simply not knowing enough in part, but from what
    I have gathered over time I'm quite unusual in having high arches
    and an over pronation problem. So the fact that there's
    arch-support may well help a lot of over-pronators, but might not
    necessarily help me :-(

    I do seem to be between a rock and a hard place when it comes to
    the perfect running shoe and I read up on what I need. I want
    cushioning as I have a very heavy strike and high arches, and I
    want prevention of my over-pronation, but generally I can get one
    or the other as folk with high arches tend not to over pronate. I
    can hardly blame the manufacturers for catering for the actual
    market, but it's a bit of a bummer that I don't seem to fit :-(

    Pete.
    --
    Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
    Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
    Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
    net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

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