MetaChat - Insoles. Advice, wisdom sought.

MetaChat is an informal place for MeFites to touch base and post, discuss and chatter about topics that may not belong on MetaFilter. Questions? Check the FAQ. Please note: This is important.

08 November 2005

Insoles. Advice, wisdom sought. →[More:]So, I was just over at the drug store looking at the Insole AISLE! That's right, 8 gazillion types of insoles, the majority of them made by Dr. Scholls. Everything blurred together in a blue and orange and black haze. They all felt similar (you can press them with your hand thru the package); they all looked similar. They're all priced from $8 to $40.

Anyone have a specific make and *model* to recommend? They're for dress shoes.

Also, just for my own curiosity, will they make my shoes far tighter? And, is there a way to use them to make shoes slightly too big fit better or that trick futile?

post by: dobbs at: 12:58 | 11 comments

Get ones with hydraulics, so you can bounce up and down like a lowrider. That's be cool.

posted by jonmc 08 November | 13:00

dobbs, go to a shoe repair place. My shoe guy totally set me up and given that I spend at least 50 hours a week on my feet professionally, he's a complete godsend.

Btw, he says Scholls products suck donkey butt, but I can't read the name of the insole he put in my boots.

posted by Frisbee Girl 08 November | 13:05

Hmm. I've got some of those in my shoes, but if I take them off at the moment I'll bomb the office.

I'm wearing sneakers, not dress shoes, but they haven't altered the fit. And they're pretty comfortable. I bought some fairly basic Dr. Scholls thing... no gel or anything like that, just a basic support.

posted by selfnoise 08 November | 13:06

The important bits of an insole:

no bouncy. bouncy means your tendons and muscles have to fight to keep the foot stable.

heel cup. needs to be deep and secure. stabilizes the foot.

good strong arch. supports the foot, helps place it in a neutral position.

I suggest finding a pair of "SuperFeet" insoles and using them as a metric.

posted by Five Fresh Fish 08 November | 13:07

I like Superfeet as well, and they come in a thinner, dress-shoe flavor. If your shoes are already tight they may make them too tight, especially with dress shoes which don't usually come with their own removable insole as do running shoes. They can be used to make large shoes fit better.

posted by omiewise 08 November | 13:10

I had no idea so many people put foot thingies in their shoes. Sounds like you're all gellin' like Magellan.

posted by iconomy 08 November | 13:23

Hmm. Okay, I'll see if I can find Superfeet. Thanks, all!

posted by dobbs 08 November | 14:58

I've used Superfeet, and found them too firm for my heel. My feet actually hurt more when I wore them. But I've got tender heels.

I recommend going somewhere where you can test-dr, er, walk before you buy.

posted by me3dia 08 November | 15:37

Superfeet will hurt initially because your feet have been unsupported for eons.

I have never purchased a pair of shoes or boots that had a good insole. Even my $400 Scarpa hiking boots came with some p.o.s. flimsy insert.

These days, I have Superfeet in every piece of footwear including my slippers. My feet are much, much happier having a good footbed.

posted by Five Fresh Fish 08 November | 16:10

Insoles Advice

Damn I only specialize in Assholes Advice.

posted by Peter H 08 November | 18:51

Superfeet good, ok even better than that, but hard to find sometimes. Dr. Scholls Advantage arch supports are pretty good too, and available everywhere.

posted by caddis 08 November | 21:55

← New XP Install || Fly the friendly skies! →

HOME || REGISTER || LOGIN