Hoping to leverage the wisdom of slowtwitch here…
I use orthotics in my daily walking shoes and love them. I even have them in a pair of sneakers that i use exclusively in the house, also love them. (i have very flat feet).
I have tried to run with said orthotics and i find them challenging as it makes the shoe too rigid and therefore feel a lot of pounding. I can make them work when running on the treadmill, grass… And/or in soft shoes (Hoka Clifton, Nike React FlyKnit, etc).
Question: what innersole (or even orthotic) do you use for running (and like it)? Ideally looking for something that provides medial support only around the arch, nothing around the heel or forefoot… ideally.
Thanks in advance,
Eric
Hoping to leverage the wisdom of slowtwitch here…
I use orthotics in my daily walking shoes and love them. I even have them in a pair of sneakers that i use exclusively in the house, also love them. (i have very flat feet).
I have tried to run with said orthotics and i find them challenging as it makes the shoe too rigid and therefore feel a lot of pounding. I can make them work when running on the treadmill, grass… And/or in soft shoes (Hoka Clifton, Nike React FlyKnit, etc).
Question: what innersole (or even orthotic) do you use for running (and like it)? Ideally looking for something that provides medial support only around the arch, nothing around the heel or forefoot… ideally.
Thanks in advance,
Eric
I have prescription soft orthotics. There’s made out of custom molded closed cell foam (multiple densities). They do not appreciably alter the stiffness of the shoe forefoot. I’ve been running in them since 2005 up to about 90 mpw.
Thanks. Sounds promising.
Does it affect the stiffness of the heel? Also, where / how did you get them?
Thanks again
Eric
Thanks. Sounds promising.
Does it affect the stiffness of the heel? Also, where / how did you get them?
Thanks again
Eric
Heel: not that I notice. I’m a forefoot striker, though.
Where: Step 1: see a foot doctor (othopod, or podiatrist) and get prescription. Step 2: get filled.
Kind of a snarky answer. But, that’s the process I went through 17 years ago. I got them from a local custom shop that my Orthopod used at the time. They are about worn out…okay…that was true 5 years ago. I’ve been taping them back together since 2018. So, I’m about to be “in the market” to replace them. I don’t know if my old Dr. is still working even.
So, in truth I’m about to be in the market for a replacement, too. I may try one of those mail-order step on mold places this time and see how those go. Or I may see if my old Orthopod is still in business and give him a call. Not sure.
Hoping to leverage the wisdom of slowtwitch here…
I use orthotics in my daily walking shoes and love them. I even have them in a pair of sneakers that i use exclusively in the house, also love them. (i have very flat feet).
I have tried to run with said orthotics and i find them challenging as it makes the shoe too rigid and therefore feel a lot of pounding. I can make them work when running on the treadmill, grass… And/or in soft shoes (Hoka Clifton, Nike React FlyKnit, etc).
Question: what innersole (or even orthotic) do you use for running (and like it)? Ideally looking for something that provides medial support only around the arch, nothing around the heel or forefoot… ideally.
Thanks in advance,
Eric
I’ve been in hard (carbon fibre/GRP) in all walking /running shoes since about 2000/2001. Some with covers, some not. I’ve been through a lot of shoes over the years, 10XX, 20XX, 21XX, and now in Saucony Omni. Pull out the insole the shoe comes with replace with the orthotic. I must admit I’ve never tried a ‘soft’ shoe as even with the orthotic I still need the shoe to do a bit of work to help with over pronation. Not when running fresh, or even in a typical training run, but
I’ve been ok, as I’ve found my feet have adapted to the feeling. Then again, I’ve no recollection of what it feels like to run without. Actually not true, I did try a few weeks of running without 2-3 years back when trying to sort an issue but it was a a shambles so we ditched that plan (and podiatrist).
I use a custom orthotic from a Podiatrist. They make a cast of your feet and send it off to the lab for them to make the orthotic. It is a rigid plastic heel with a thin foam liner that goes to the toes. Every few years I get the foam liner and the rubber under the arch replaced.
They do not fit all shoes. I always take out the inner liner, put in my orthotic and try the shoes out in the shop. Some shoes do not seem to be high enough at the back of the heel for the orthotic.
They look like these.
Thanks
I too am a midfoot striker… Somehow my orthotics cause the shoe to feel rigid…
Agreed, will go so a podiatrist. That hasnt been the process i used historically, so wanted to check.
I went to a podiatrist 15 years ago and he actually recommended I try “Foot Soldiers” which are over the counter, off the shelf orthotics which cost about $25 back then. He could have made a lot selling me a custom orthotic but he was more concerned about my feet and issues than making a sale. I tried them and they worked perfectly so I’ve got them in my running shoes, cycling shoes, race shoes, tennis shoes, everywhere. They come with a full length insole that you can take off if you want. They now come in 6 varieties and the ones I use are still only $40 - quite a difference from a custom orthotic at hundreds of dollars.
I went to a podiatrist 15 years ago and he actually recommended I try “Foot Soldiers” which are over the counter, off the shelf orthotics which cost about $25 back then. He could have made a lot selling me a custom orthotic but he was more concerned about my feet and issues than making a sale. I tried them and they worked perfectly so I’ve got them in my running shoes, cycling shoes, race shoes, tennis shoes, everywhere. They come with a full length insole that you can take off if you want. They now come in 6 varieties and the ones I use are still only $40 - quite a difference from a custom orthotic at hundreds of dollars.
How did you know which size/variety to get? Did the Podiatrist tell you the size?
You make a good point about wearing them in all shoes. I do the same. I found it hard to get a cycling shoe that fits orthotics. I moved to a wide cycling shoe due to a neuroma, I have found that my orthotic fits better in a wide shoe.
While the up front cost of a custom orthotic can be high, they last a long time. I have had mine for about 20 years. Every few years a refurb costs less than $100.
When I first got my Foot Soldiers, they only made one model - the hard plastic white orthotic with the attached blue insole. They sell full sizes and you can cut down the top of the blue insole with scissors if they’re too long. I generally wear a 10 in everything (11 in running shoes) and so the podiatrist suggested a size 10 which worked great.
My first Foot Soldiers have still lasted to this day (15+ years). Sometimes the blue insole gets a bit ragged but that’s about it. In nearly every shoe, I just take out the insole that comes with that shoe and put in the Foot Soldiers and they’re good to go. I just got a new pair of cycling shoes which are a bit too roomy and the Foot Soldiers with the insole take up the slack so it’s appropriately snug now. I’ve got one set where I removed the blue insole and I use them to slip into dress shoes.
Hoping to leverage the wisdom of slowtwitch here…
I use orthotics in my daily walking shoes and love them. I even have them in a pair of sneakers that i use exclusively in the house, also love them. (i have very flat feet).
I have tried to run with said orthotics and i find them challenging as it makes the shoe too rigid and therefore feel a lot of pounding. I can make them work when running on the treadmill, grass… And/or in soft shoes (Hoka Clifton, Nike React FlyKnit, etc).
Question: what innersole (or even orthotic) do you use for running (and like it)? Ideally looking for something that provides medial support only around the arch, nothing around the heel or forefoot… ideally.
Thanks in advance,
Eric
I have prescription soft orthotics. There’s made out of custom molded closed cell foam (multiple densities). They do not appreciably alter the stiffness of the shoe forefoot. I’ve been running in them since 2005 up to about 90 mpw.
Me too
Molds of my feet and they made the orthotics. They last a really long time. I only use them for running.