Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Aftermarket Insoles

Curious to know what all your thoughts are? Who puts them in right when they take a new pair of boots out of the box, who waits till the originals crash or who never changes them at all?
I tend to wait till the originals fail but am second guessing that and may start putting new insoles into new boots.

What ones are you finding work the best? My main problem is friction burn on the bottom of my heal and balls of my feet when coming off the hill. I will usually tape/moleskin up before coming down w/ weight but I still think I could be doing something better.

With my current new pair of boots (Lowa Tibet) I started of with a pair of "Arch Molds" http://www.archmolds.com/ that I had laying around the house. I didn't find them to be all that comfortable with my feet so I have just switched to "Super Feet" which came highly recommended from a number of sources, including the store I bought my Lowas from. http://www.superfeet.com/

superfeet I like.

I have and like the Superfeet but the Sole Softec heat moldable inserts work best for my feet.

I've used Spencos for many years. They go in every piece of footwear almost before I cut the info cards from the laces. (Um, well, I don't have Spencos in my bunny slippers.)

superfeet for me

For years I used Spenco brand, then I got custom orthotics, what a difference. I thought the Spencos were great and they were, but nothing is like the orthotics I have now. Even with the Spencos my feet would hurt in the morning. Now, my feet feel great all day and they never hurt in the morning. The initial investment is relatively large, but I'd rather have feet that don't hurt everyday over a new backpack that I only use a few days a week, monthor year!

I've searched for Sole heat moldable insoles in my area without much luck,closest I've come arre some in a workwear store under the Redwing brand name,on a small corner of the package it said Sole but with no cross referance to thier other models.Is anyone familier with these?

I have the green superfeet in my Lowas and I love them...and the boots.

I have the same setup in my Lowas, Asolos, and even my watershoes.

where do you guys get your superfeet?

most good running stores have them - that's where I've always gotten mine.

(there is one store in every town where all the runners go - and all the orthopods send patients. find that store.....)

In regards to superfeet: take your boots in the store with you and try on the green and blue ones. The blue are slightly lower in profile and fit some boots 'better'.

If you guys have any questions on superfeet, fire away.

I have Plantar fasciitis and tarsal tunnel problems, so I have used lots of different insoles! (I have not tried the custom orthos yet. The foot doctor told me, with my feet, I just need lots of cushioning and stretching, and to lay off the running and go to a bike or an elliptical.)Anyway...

I've tried the green Superfeet, the blue ones (better for me), the black heat-moldable Sole, and the Spenco hikers. My favorites, by far, are the Spencos. Everyone's feet are different, and you need to take the boots in , with the socks you are going to be wearing, to try them together. (If the store will let you.)

I found that the insoles with "great" arch support in the store, turned out to have too much arch support under a big pack for days and ended up bruising the bottom of my feet. I have not had that problem with the Spencos, and I have put lots of miles on the boots with them in. The Spencos are in all of my boots now, except for some pac boots that seem to work better with the Soles.

Timat46, you asked about the Soles. I got mine at AMH in Anchorage. You can Google their website. They, along with the Superfeet, should be at any REI or Sportsmans. The Soles come in a black and a red. The black takes up a lot more volume.

+1 for Superfeet.....

IDMilton, Plantar fascitis is a preventable problem due mostly to very tight gastroc and soleus muscles of the posterior portion of the lower leg. A search of the internet will show you appropriate exercises. One that is very simple is to stand on a step and let your heals drop down in the back. Stretching those muscles is the key. I had it so bad I thought I'd never run again. The physical therapist gave me a routine to do including the night boot and I was running again in less than two weeks Another thing to consider is getting a night boot that positions your foot so it won't plantar (toes pointed)flex while sleeping. With custom orthotics it will take your feet some time to adjust to the way your feet "should be" as opposed to the way "they are". A good pedothist will tell you to wear them a little longer every day until you don't notice any discomfort. Then you are ready for anything. By the way generic arch supports are better than nothing but customs take into consideration any thing special about your foot. For example my longitudinal arch starts really far back on my foot so with a Spenco the support was only on the front part of the arch and there was nothing near the back. Just something to think about.

IDMilton, Plantar fascitis is a preventable problem due mostly to very tight gastroc and soleus muscles of the posterior portion of the lower leg. A search of the internet will show you appropriate exercises. One that is very simple is to stand on a step and let your heals drop down in the back. Stretching those muscles is the key. I had it so bad I thought I'd never run again. The physical therapist gave me a routine to do including the night boot and I was running again in less than two weeks Another thing to consider is getting a night boot that positions your foot so it won't plantar (toes pointed)flex while sleeping. With custom orthotics it will take your feet some time to adjust to the way your feet "should be" as opposed to the way "they are". A good pedothist will tell you to wear them a little longer every day until you don't notice any discomfort. Then you are ready for anything. By the way generic arch supports are better than nothing but customs take into consideration any thing special about your foot. For example my longitudinal arch starts really far back on my foot so with a Spenco the support was only on the front part of the arch and there was nothing near the back. Just something to think about.

I used the Superfeet green last year for the first time and they really helped. By the way, I bought mine mail order from Kennetrek. They also had the Sole heat moldable ones. I asked them which they thought was best and they said they hadn't ever sold many of the Sole, so couldn't comment on them. Based on that, I went with the Superfeet. I believe Schnee's also sells the Superfeet.
Test

Miller, thanks for the helpful response. The specialist I went to last year did an ultra-sound and felt my feet, then asked lots of questions. He said there is scar tissue in my ankle pressing on a nerve and vessel that go through the ankle. (That is the tarsal tunnel part.)

He said with my plantar, do the stretching you wrote about on the stairs. If I do that several times a day, it helps a lot. (Especially before bed.)
He said he didn't think orthos yet, just to stretch, Advil for the swelling, and mainly, give them a rest. (Which is what I don't want to do. As I get older, if I take a break from being active, it is really hard to get back to where I was. And I have a big hike in two weeks, then a big trip in three, then hunting here starts in six....)
Later, he gave me cortisone injections. He used a (very big looking!) needle, and put it from the bottom of my heel, slowly way, way, up towards the ankle. Then he slowly counted 15. Then he did the other side. It helped for about two months.

I need to go back in, but the shots sucked so bad, I don't want to!

Regarding the post, the Spencos what helped me most.

IDMilton, ever heard of the Strassburg sock? It might help.

"The Strassburg Sock is designed to be worn at night and helps to keep tension on the Plantar Facia, keeping it from contracting. Another benefit of 'the sock' is it helps strengthen the arch of the foot. Primarily designed and used in the prevention and treatment of Plantar Faciitis."