Why should you put insoles in your boots or shoes?

Do you spend hours at a time in your boots or shoes? The stock insoles in many boots and shoes are simply strips of inexpensive foam that are there to make the shoe feel “good enough” when you try them on. They aren’t usually a long-term solution for the demands we place on our footwear.

When it comes to performance footwear - like hiking, running, and work boots & shoes - aftermarket insoles not only increase comfort, they also improve joint function and stability.

We offer both cushion-based insoles and support-based insoles. In general, we primarily recommend support-based insoles because they will have the additional benefits beyond improved comfort. 

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Support-Based Insoles

Supportive insoles improve comfort in your feet by aligning with and supporting the natural shape of your foot. These insoles act as a solid foundation for your feet and will benefit you in multiple ways.

• Joint alignment: By supporting your feet in the right position, supportive insoles will improve alignment in your ankles, knees, hips, and back. This translates to less pain and more comfort in all of these areas.
• Foot alignment: Many people tend to pronate (roll in) or supinate (roll out) when walking or running. Supportive insoles reduce your tendency to do this.
• Plantar fasciitis: When your foot is unsupported in your footwear it can strain and tear the connective tissues that link your forefoot to your heel. This causes Plantar Fasciitis, a painful condition that affects your feet. Using a supportive insole will greatly reduce those strains, improving

Support based insoles come in a variety of profiles and thicknesses that will allow you to find a pair that best fits your foot/shoe combination. We recommend finding a pair that fits your foot as opposed to trying to mold a semi-custom pair to your feet. With the variety of options available, and comfort guarantees offer by many brands, it is much more of a fool-proof process to buy support insoles that are already molded into the desired shape.

Cushion-Based Insoles

As the name implies, cushion insoles work by providing cushioning under your foot. Typically, these do not provide the same level of orthopedic support as support insoles. Often times cushion insoles do not necessarily feel any cushier than support insoles and they typically wear out more quickly. If you are considering a cushion insole, we recommend trying on your shoes with a few support insoles first. Despite all of this, cushion insoles do have their place and cushion insoles from some of the medical brands we carry do incorporate better materials and some support elements.

• Cushion based insoles can relieve pressure on bone spurs on the bottom of your foot.
• Cushion insoles can provide relief to people with flatter feet who are unsuccessful in finding support insoles that work for them.
• Cushion insoles may provide relief for people who have less cartilage on the ball and heel of their foot.

Fitting for insoles

To get a proper fit for your insole we recommend having a professional to measure your foot for both total length and heel to ball, or arch, length. From there we can identify the right arch length insole and start experimenting with profiles that will line up best with your foot. Remove the stock insole from your shoe and place the new insole inside. Then put the shoe on and lace it up as you normally would. Walk around a bit and see how the insole feels. If it feels good, great! If not, just move on to the next option and repeat the try-on test. Once you have decided on and purchased an insole, it may require trimming to obtain a perfect fit inside your shoe. Any of our professional boot fitters can assist with getting the trim dialed in.