Custom Made Insoles - Not Ski Boot Related

[L&AirC]

This is more about custom insoles in general and not just skiing.

My wife has issues with her feet and for the most part, she has next to no arch while standing and is slightly bow legged. Her ankle rolls in quite a bit. She's on her feet all day at work and according to her apple watch, does 18K-20K steps per day. That means every night she is icing her ankles and is a bit of pain.

She was given a prescription from the foot doctor to get custom made insoles. We went to the recommended shop not far away. I went mostly because I was curious of the process to see what the difference was between what the shop would do and a ski shop, like GMOL.

What a let down. They guy (CPED) was great and seemed knowledgeable in his trade, but all he did was have her put her feet in a box to take a mold of her feet, send it out for the insoles to be made and charge us 400 effen dollars!!! Not to mention having to wait 3 weeks.

My wife has been using them for a few weeks but can only handle them for so many hours a day. What hit me as odd, was when he did the mold, (to me) it didn't look like he was working on getting the ankle neutral, which I thought was key. Maybe it isn't a goal for walking shoes (which doesn't make sense to me). When I looked at the insoles made for her, they don't seem much different than the ones in my ski boots (with regards to material and stiffness).

My youngest daughter has feet similar to my wife's feet but she isn't bow legged. From what I remember with her is she has hyper flexible tendons so her arches collapse when standing. When I took her to GMOL for her first fitting, she said "my most comfortable shoes are my ski boots!" and she could stay in them all day long without issue. That is still true to this day.

My knee jerk reaction is to take her to a ski bootfitter that is also a CPED and get better ones that she can be in all day.

Am I missing something? I'm aware I don't know all the ins and outs of this process and is why I'm asking this forum, but from my point of view, I think she would be further ahead getting them custom made with her ankle in neutral like the ones my daughter and I have in our ski boots.

Thanks for any insight you can provide.

Ken

 

[surfsnowgirl]

There's a guy in Manchester, VT that apparently is amazing, makes custom insoles and orthotics for street shoes and isn't expensive. I can find his information if that's convenient for you.

 

[Plai]

Hey Ken, I also tried the orthopedic route and was horribly disappointed. Low arches and slight bow legs here. Don't think I have the foot roll. Mine a decade ago costed the same (money and time) as your wife's. Besides the cost and in attention of the practioners, the rigid soles don't seem right conceptually.

I'm much more comfortable with super feet (green). They provide the volume of support, enough rigidity, and are soft enough for sports. I also have wondered about custom for street shoes, but the over the counter just work week enough for me. A decade ago, I had questions about their durability. Haven't had to throw out a set yet. Been switching between shoes, both active wear (tennis, hiking, running) and street (moccasins, loafers) with no problems. Some of the best money I've spent to not have feet pain.

Good luck on whatever you decide.

 

[Doug Briggs]

I just got a pair of footbeds made for my hiking boots. I went to a boot fitter (my boss actually ) and he designed them to be flexible in forefoot and with extra padding on top. I was addressing a Morton's neuroma (inflamed nerve between the metatarsals) and it helped considerably. This is admittedly not the same problem as your wife's but suffice it to say, specifically designed footbeds can make a world of difference.

 

[Jilly]

My orthotics were made by walking across a computer pad. Same foot 3x's. Very high arches and planter fasititis. So not sure but the pressure pad might have taken into account any rolling of the foot caused by something higher up. Same kind of cost long time ago. My foot beds were made by standing on a form as most of us have done. There is no metatarsal pad on the foot beds. Otherwise very similar.

 

[David Chaus]

My bootfitter (Jim Mates in Seattle) made me a pair, that while posted with cork to provide arch support, is flexible under the mets and toes and can be used with any footwear. I think he used a Sole off-the-shelf heat moldable footbed and then added the cork.

I do have custom orthotics I have had for 30 years, made from a plaster mold, that were resurfaced last year (they still fit the contours of my feet, which is amazing that my feet haven’t changed in all that time).

 

[Living Proof]

This season, we relocated to a home that has mostly hard floors, resulting in return of both heel and arch pain in both feet, so I feel your wife's pain everyday. I do not walk anywhere near the amount of steps she takes, can not imagine how bad her feet feel at day's end.

Years ago, I was fitted with custom orthopedics by a good friend who is a podiatrist due to foot pain mostly occurring after playing tennis or walking 18 holes of golf. I still have them and use them for golf. They help, but, there is no magic solution that I have found. What helps me the most is wearing shoes with very good arch support, sometimes that is provided by over-the-counter foot pads. In addition, the heel of my shoes must have high shock absorbing material, such as a good running shoe. There is a ton of discussion on this foot pain found on the internet, the reviews indicate there is not a magical cure. When a great solution occurs, we will know about it very quickly

I'm not sure that I would agree that the need to get your foot flat as ski boot orthopedics is a good basis for orthopedics for shoes. The stress placed by walking are far greater on both the heel and arch. That is my opinion only....I am not qualified to offer anything but my opinion.