Tired or sore feet? Try a custom shoe insole

Hello all, If you seen any of my posts, you'll know that I workout mostly on the bike or throw in a run here and there. Over the years, my feet have felt a bit sore post workout.

If you are on your feet a lot at work and do a lot of walking around, you may have noticed that your feet can get a bit sore after a day or two.

A shot of various removable insoles, mostly from jogging/tennis shoes. Some dress type shoes have custom insoles these days. (Gel at heel)

Most shoes for working out have removable insoles like the pair on the left in the photo below. They are usually very basic with not too much extra padding.

On the right side is a pair of Sofsole 'athlete' insoles which aid in the cushioning of your foot strike to the ground. You can see the extra rubberized padding under the ball of the foot and the heel.

I also purchased some Sofsole AIRR's which have a rubbery type of material that is directly under the ball of the foot and a harder rubber under the heel up to the arch. The surface is rounded up near the heel and arch for support and it has an extra bit of padding directly under the heel. (Seen on top photo)

One thing to consider with custom insoles is weight, especially if you are doing a athletic type of activity like running. Here is a typical weight of a running shoe insole. (I could not get the photo to turn right side up!) It is around 1.3 ounces.

The Sofsole 'athlete' is around 2.20 ounces.

The Sofsole AIRR is the heaviest at 2.70 ounces.

I have 2 pairs of the Sofsole AIRR, one for athletic activities and the other for work shoes.

The sofsole AIRR is usually in my mountain bike or road biking shoes as I do not care about the weight as much. The lighter Sofsole athlete is usually in my running shoes as added grams start making a difference. I do not compete, but still the lighter the better when running.

I also have a pair of custom orthotics that were made for skiing quite a few years ago. The insole is heated up and you step over them for a few minutes so they can mold to the bottom of your feet. When used for skiing, there is minimal 'play' when you angle your foot to the side which gives you better ski response. I used to use them in my road cycling shoes until my feet started aching after longer rides, they are very stiff...

So take a look into the variety of custom insoles that are available, most are quite affordable and last a few years. You can find them just about anywhere shoes are sold, sporting good stores or Amazon...

Your feet will thank you =}