custom insloes

[fullofadventure]

Are custom made orthopedic insoles worth the money ($400CAD) to have made? Are they going to be guarantied better than say the CustomFit 3 piece Superfeet insloes($130CAD)?

 

http://www.superfeet.com/content/custom-green.html#.html

 

Does anyone with experience in expensive custom insoles know how long they will last compared to the custom Superfeet insoles?

[thelawgoddess]

you might give the boot-fitting department at sturtevant's (in bellevue, wa) a call. i would think they'd be happy to impart some wisdom ...

[specialed]

I suppose it depends on how fucked up your feet are.

[Bug]

Check out Custom Boot in Fremont. Jim Mates is the owner/operator and has done my insoles twice. They ROCK! I still use both pair and haven't seen him for eight years.

Tell him Keith says 'HI!'

[Ade]

I've also used Jim Mates. Did a great job on my plastic boots and I use the custom insoles pretty much every time I go hiking.

[PaulB]

I have pretty messed up feet. I can stand a quarter on edge under my arches and I've got massive heel spurs. The last time i got fitted for orthotics the clinic took pictures for their "freaky feet" wall of fame.

 

I've tried expensive prescription orthotics, cheaper "fitted" orthotics, custom footbeds and trim to fit green Superfeet. I've found that while the custom orthotics are good in my street shoes, the Superfeet have worked the best in my climbing and ski boots. I've been thinking about giving the custom fit Superfeet a try.

 

So, in response to your question, I didn't find that the expensive orthotics felt better than the cheaper insoles in any given footwear in any given situation. What feels comfortable walking around town might not feel so good at the end of a 12 hour slog through the mountains.

 

In terms of durability, I've got two pairs of Superfeet that I've been using for about 5 years, and they're still in good shape. The life of custom orthotics will depend on their exact construction, but I would expect at least 5 years, probably longer.

[treknclime]

Check out www.yoursole.com

 

A Canadian product; less expensive than custom, but you can customize by placing the insoles in the oven and they mold to your feet (per product instructions).

 

Anyone have experience with these??

[cracked]

I paid $200 for Mates to make me insoles, for my ski boots. They work pretty well, but to get to a stance that I'm happy with I had to do some home modifications.

 

They work well in my ice boots, they do a good job keeping my heels in place.

 

Overall, , but worth $200? Maybe.

 

Superfeet did nothing but give me horrible arch pain.

[PaulB]

Keep in mind that custom orthotics and molded footbeds do different things.

 

Orthotics correct bio-mechanical problems because they are built from a mold of your foot in a "perfectly neutral" position as determined by a podiatrist. By supporting your feet in a "perfect" position, your ankles, hips and lower back should all line up correctly, improving your overall posture. Many people who get orthotics for the first time find that their hips hurt at the end of the day because their legs are being forced into a position that they aren't used to.

 

Molded footbeds mostly just fill the voids that regular insoles don't, which feels comfy, but doesn't necessarily eliminate the source of your discomfort. This is especially true of footbeds which are molded by standing on them, as any bio-mechanical problems (e.g. pronation), will be built right into the footbed. Some footbeds are molded without weighting your feet. This is similar to what is done for orthotics, but instead of a podiatrist, it's usually done by a high school kid. For the molded footbeds, try and find out if they are molded while weighted or unweighted.

 

In short, orthotics are a good choice if you're worried about problems with your gait/stride during activities like running or hiking. Footbeds are good if you're mostly worried about comfort and control during activities like skiing or skating. As the comments above show, different things work for different people. Be prepared to try a bunch of different solutions, which means you'll likely end up spending some cash on a product that you might not end up using.

 

Apologies for rambling, but I've been looking for the perfect insole/footbed/orthotic for a long time.

[fullofadventure]

I am using the the yoursole product right now treknclime and they are not working for me.

 

Thanks for the insight everyone, I think I will have custom orthotics made.

 

Here is where I might get them done at and some info on what they do.

 

http://www.kintecfootlabs.com/fabrication.html

 

http://www.kintecfootlabs.com/assessments.html

 

http://www.kintecfootlabs.com/orthotics.html

 

Edited January 20, 2005 by fullofadventure

[treknclime]

FOA...I was given a pair of those yoursoles as a gift...and haven't used them yet. Guess we'll see if they'll work for me. Thx for the info and hopefully I'll have better luck. Good luck to you...and hope you get your program worked out.

Edited January 21, 2005 by treknclime

[Bug]

Keep in mind that custom orthotics and molded footbeds do different things.

 

Orthotics correct bio-mechanical problems because they are built from a mold of your foot in a "perfectly neutral" position as determined by a podiatrist. By supporting your feet in a "perfect" position, your ankles, hips and lower back should all line up correctly, improving your overall posture. Many people who get orthotics for the first time find that their hips hurt at the end of the day because their legs are being forced into a position that they aren't used to.

 

Molded footbeds mostly just fill the voids that regular insoles don't, which feels comfy, but doesn't necessarily eliminate the source of your discomfort. This is especially true of footbeds which are molded by standing on them, as any bio-mechanical problems (e.g. pronation), will be built right into the footbed. Some footbeds are molded without weighting your feet. This is similar to what is done for orthotics, but instead of a podiatrist, it's usually done by a high school kid. For the molded footbeds, try and find out if they are molded while weighted or unweighted.

 

In short, orthotics are a good choice if you're worried about problems with your gait/stride during activities like running or hiking. Footbeds are good if you're mostly worried about comfort and control during activities like skiing or skating. As the comments above show, different things work for different people. Be prepared to try a bunch of different solutions, which means you'll likely end up spending some cash on a product that you might not end up using.

 

Apologies for rambling, but I've been looking for the perfect insole/footbed/orthotic for a long time.

I have had orthotics made by Hanson Orthopedics and footbeds made by Jim Mates of Custom Boot Service. The major difference was the posting or cross angle that the bottom of the foot is held in. Jim's footbeds were posted at the heel and a bit at the arch but not at thte toe. Hansen's orthotics were posted all the way out to the ball of the foot which gives me the same foot angle through the entire stride. It IS a noticable difference but my feet are pretty bad. I paid $200 plus office visits at Hansen orthopedics. I paid $125 flat at Custom boot. The footbeds Jim makes are weighted on a set of soft pads mounted on axels that run fron to back. So the posting at your natural position is built in to the heel of the footbed. Jim could build it into the length of the footbed but would have to do that by building up the front posting after the footbed is made. This is the same way Hansen did my orthotics. Problem is, Jim doesn't have a license to practice orthopedics and would get busted. But you could post your own toes if you knew what you were trying to do. I use Jims footbeds and post them myself. I have Hanse's orthotics to compare which is cheating but the theory is to get the ankle to hinge at the same lateral angle all the way through the stride. Without posting all the way through the foot will rotate at the ankle as you move onto your toes. The loss of power is notable.

Just my two cents.