Insole Searching

Let me start out by saying that I am really picky about footwear.  I have a difficult foot to fit – size 13, high arch, wide forefoot, narrow heel, over-pronater – and I’ll try just about anything to get my shoes and boots to fit correctly.  Unfortunately many of today’s hiking boots and shoes fall short in one critical area – the insole.  For whatever reason many manufacturers seem to skimp here.  I recently purchased a new pair of hiking boots, and subsequently decided to experiment with a few different insoles, so I thought I’d share my experience.  Take it for what its worth.

Sole Ed Viesturs Signature Insole ($45):

  

These are not cheap, but then again, you get a heat moldable insole that provides a semi-custom fit without having to spend a ton of money on orthotics.  2 minutes in the oven at 200˚ followed by 2 minutes in your shoe and you’re good to go.  This feature worked perfectly. These insoles have a very aggressive arch, which may or may not work for you.  I really liked this insole when placed inside a shoe with no existing arch support, but not in my hiking boots, which have a moderate amount of arch already built into the last.  For me this combination was painful.  One complaint I have with the Sole, is that the forefoot could be wider.  My toes hung over the sides when I tried them in my shoes.  I’d rather have an insole that can be trimmed to fit rather than having my toes hang over the sides.  Again, I have a wide foot so this may not be an issue for others.  Sole also makes a number of other insoles, including the Dean Karnazes Signature Insole designed for lower volume footwear.   Bottom Line:  The Sole is a very supportive insole, but it didn’t work with my particular boots and wide foot. 

Superfeet Green Insole ($35): 

I’ve been using these in a pair of Merrell slip-on shoes for about two months now.  They definitely take awhile to get used to.  What I immediately noticed about these is that the arch hits me farther back than what I’m used to.  Apparently they are designed this way to provide proper support by preventing the arch from collapsing as the foot pivots forward.  I’m certainly no podiatrist, but these insoles seem to work as advertised.  They aren’t particularly soft or cushy, but they do keep my feet from aching which is more than I can say for the paper-thin insoles that came in my Merrell’s.  These take up a decent amount of volume, so be aware that your shoe will probably fit tighter than it did with the original insole.  When I swapped these into my new boots they worked fairly well, but the plastic heel cup did squeak occasionally.  As far as durability is concerned, I’ve been using a pair of Superfeet Winter Insoles in my ski boots for two years and they still look like new.  Bottom Line:  Although not immediately comfortable, they are very supportive. I’ll keep them in my shoes, and occasionally in my boots.

Meindl “Perfekt” Footbed  ($20):

You probably haven’t heard of these, but in my opinion they’re worth checking into.  Meindl is a German company that makes high-end hiking boots.  The only place you can get their products here in the US is through Cabelas, but if you google them you’ll find that they are very popular in Europe.  Their insole is based around a layer of cork, which is covered with a soft wicking material.  Think Birkenstock.  They take up a lot of volume, but I’ve noticed that as the cork forms to the shape of my foot, the volume slightly decreases.  They have a medium amount of arch support, not as aggressive as the Sole, and they offer more cushioning and are initially more comfortable than the Superfeet.  These are also the most cost effective of the three.  I’ve only used them a few times now, but I like them better each time I use them.  I’m very interested to see how they hold up over time.  Bottom Line:  These are staying in my boots for now, but they took up way too much volume in my street shoes so no swapping back and forth.

In summary, this is obviously a very subjective review, but hopefully you’ll find it to be of some value.  Sole, Superfeet, and Cabelas all have a 100% satisfaction guaranteed policy, so if the insoles aren’t comfortable you’re not stuck with them.  Also, check out the Foot Health Information section at Superfeet’s website for some interesting articles on foot pain.

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