What type of shoe inserts do I need?
April 8, 2013 10:14 AM Subscribe
The soles on my dress shoes are not cushioning my feet properly and causing me back pain. What type of shoe inserts do I need?
I have a pair of Deer Stags that were very cushiony when I bought them approximately 7 months ago. Now the shoes cause my back to hurt if I walk in them for any extended period of time.
I bought the Deer Stags specifically because I heard they cushioned the foot well. I had been making do with Boston shoes and the Sofsole Airr inserts before that. I found I had to replace the Airrs every 3 months or so.
In doing research, Powersteps and Superfeet keep coming up. Are these better than Sofsoles? Is there another brand I should try? Do I need to see a doctor?
Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks!
I have a pair of Deer Stags that were very cushiony when I bought them approximately 7 months ago. Now the shoes cause my back to hurt if I walk in them for any extended period of time.
I bought the Deer Stags specifically because I heard they cushioned the foot well. I had been making do with Boston shoes and the Sofsole Airr inserts before that. I found I had to replace the Airrs every 3 months or so.
In doing research, Powersteps and Superfeet keep coming up. Are these better than Sofsoles? Is there another brand I should try? Do I need to see a doctor?
Any advice is much appreciated. Thanks!
I have both Powerstep pinnacles and Superfeet and asperity is right, they are not especially cushiony but rather supporty-they both have a very rigid arch support and heel cup with a modest closed foam cushion layer on top similar in thickness to a standard athletic shoe liner. They're not what I would recommend if you primarily need extra padding.
posted by drlith at 11:58 AM on April 8, 2013
posted by drlith at 11:58 AM on April 8, 2013
tl;dr version: Cusion=/comfort ; try Superfeet
I worked as a retail salesperson for years, and spent a lot of time on my feet as a result. I found that while initially comfortable, cushiony footwear did not equate to comfortable, especially after a few months. It was never a question of if my feet and back hurt, but rather how much they were bothering me that day.
Then I switched to Superfeet, and that made a huge difference. It wasn't a miracle cure, and I still experienced foot and back pain. However, it was definitely decreased; I owned two nearly identical pairs of shoes (thank you, generous vendors!) and I would switch my pair of Superfeet between them. If I forgot to do this, and just used the original insoles, I could really feel it at the end of the day.
The height of your arch will determine which color of Superfeet insole you'd need; I tried the green ones (which is the most popular/"Standard" model), and found it too painful at the arch. I was told that if I sucked it up for a week or so I'd get used to it and they'd be great; unwilling to deal with that, I bought the blue insoles which are for a lower arch and they've been terrific.
posted by EKStickland at 12:40 PM on April 8, 2013
I worked as a retail salesperson for years, and spent a lot of time on my feet as a result. I found that while initially comfortable, cushiony footwear did not equate to comfortable, especially after a few months. It was never a question of if my feet and back hurt, but rather how much they were bothering me that day.
Then I switched to Superfeet, and that made a huge difference. It wasn't a miracle cure, and I still experienced foot and back pain. However, it was definitely decreased; I owned two nearly identical pairs of shoes (thank you, generous vendors!) and I would switch my pair of Superfeet between them. If I forgot to do this, and just used the original insoles, I could really feel it at the end of the day.
The height of your arch will determine which color of Superfeet insole you'd need; I tried the green ones (which is the most popular/"Standard" model), and found it too painful at the arch. I was told that if I sucked it up for a week or so I'd get used to it and they'd be great; unwilling to deal with that, I bought the blue insoles which are for a lower arch and they've been terrific.
posted by EKStickland at 12:40 PM on April 8, 2013
Response by poster: If it helps, I have almost perfect pronation when I run. Does this mean my arches are OK?
posted by reenum at 1:12 PM on April 8, 2013
posted by reenum at 1:12 PM on April 8, 2013
You can determine the height of your arches by placing damp feet on paper.
posted by oceano at 1:43 PM on April 8, 2013
posted by oceano at 1:43 PM on April 8, 2013
In contrast to EKStrickland, I have the green Superfeet and really don't like them. I've been happier with Dr. Scholl's gel inserts. I suspect this really depends on your feet, and you might have better luck at a real shoe store (not a mall discount outlet) where you might try a variety of options.
posted by RedOrGreen at 3:05 PM on April 8, 2013
posted by RedOrGreen at 3:05 PM on April 8, 2013
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If you favor cushioning over stiffer support and shock absorption, try getting a couple of pairs where possible and wearing them no more often than every other day -- it'll make them last quite a bit longer.
posted by asperity at 10:31 AM on April 8, 2013