Shoes

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Texas Aggie

One thing I forgot to mention earlier is to look into 3rd party insoles. Not necessarily custom ones but Super Feet and Sole (the ones I wear) make quality products. And they last a LONG time (many times longer than a single pair of shoes. The insoles that come with the shoes are marginal and don't support your feet very well.

There's a good chance that if you don't like your shoes as much as you thought you would, it isn't a shoe issue -- it is an insole issue. In my case, my arches are so high, you can drive a truck under them. Had I been alive when they built it, they would have modeled the St. Louis arch after one of mine. The problem I had for years without knowing it was that when I ran, my feet moved a lot in the shoe causing callouses and blisters because there wasn't enough arch support in the shoe. Insoles solved about 90 percent of those problems. Many (including me before I got them) think insoles provide cushioning, but they don't, at least not very much. Mine are actually very rigid and I don't miss the cushioning. Good insoles provide support while the shoe provides the cushioning. Just get the right ones -- it may be a trial and error thing.

This is a great point. I did have to change the insoles on my Nike AirMax FlyNits that I loved. That is when I fell in love with that shoe. I also wear a harder orthotic as well because of my lack of arch or not as good of an arch or I have pain if I go some time without the proper support.

In my current shoe that I just bought, I did not need to change the insole. But you are so right that the insole often is not good in many shoes and needs to be replaced.

Peace