The Best Custom Insoles, an Ultimate Guide

Have you been struggling with foot pain and want to know if finding the best custom insoles will help ease your pain? Perhaps your back and your knees hurt, or possibly you feel like your shoes are wearing out more on one side than the other. All of these symptoms indicate that you might need custom orthotics. These help support your feet and make your daily time spent walking, running, or standing more comfortable. 

Many people confuse orthotics with insoles, but these are not the same items. Custom orthotics are made just for you and are designed to help you to move correctly. They help with each footfall and to balance the weight of your body over your feet correctly when you are standing.

It can be true that a better-quality shoe that is properly fitted might make your feet slightly more comfortable than they are today. Shoes that come off the rack are not made for any kind of specific need. They are designed to fit many people and to work for lots of general kinds of use. This means that people with very flat feet, people with very high arches, or people with gait problems and other health conditions that impact the feet will not be comfortable in generic shoes.

While you could have custom shoes made for each need that you might have, this is a very arduous process and shoes will break down over time. This can lead you right back to foot pain problems. This is why orthotics are so effective. These are treatment devices just as much as they are comfort devices. They will help your feet to heal at the same time as they take care of your comfort and the balance of your foot inside your shoe.

No pair of shoes will ever be designed to offer you what a custom orthotic can. Custom orthotics are designed to make up for the things that your shoes lack. You will have a much better experience with any closed-toe pair of shoes that you own if you have custom orthotics to help with the fit and function that they can offer you.

There are many foot conditions that can be helped with custom orthotics use. You might not even realize that you can get help with the conditions that make your feet painful and make it hard for you to engage in your favorite activities. Foot pain can come on slowly over time and many people who struggle with foot discomfort believe that this is normal and is related to working out, standing or walking too much.

While foot pain can happen when you do not have a foot or gait condition that is the root cause, the kind of foot pain that you are probably dealing with never really goes away. When you have foot pain that plagues you each day, you probably have a gait issue or an arch problem that is leading to it.

The best option for daily foot pain that does not resolve is to support your foot shape and your gait in a more effective way through the use of custom orthotics and insoles. This technology has become increasingly effective at alleviating these kinds of pain. You will probably be shocked at the improvement in your comfort as soon as you start using your custom orthotics or insoles.

These are the most common foot conditions that can be improved with the use of custom insoles. There are other foot issues that can be treated through the use of these custom devices as well that are not included in this brief list.

1. Bunions
   • This can be a very painful condition that is often caused by the toes being pressed into too small of a space. This might happen due to shoes that are too small but it can also be the result of other problems with gait or with the arches in your feet. This condition causes pain and swelling in the ball of the foot behind the big toe. Over time, this joint can become so damaged that surgery is needed to correct the problem.
   • A custom orthotic can help keep your toes separated and make it possible to alleviate pressure on the inside of the foot and against the toes. When you have narrow heels and flat feet, this might be a common outcome for you when wearing regular shoes without any special support. This is one of the places where custom orthotics shine.
2. Hammertoe
   • This condition happens when very flat feet lead to toes that always have to grip at an odd angle but it can also be a genetic condition. This problem can lead to pain at the front of the foot as well as gait issues that can cause heel pain. Your custom orthotic will make sure that your toes are given the room to flex and bend as they should. It can also support your heel and make sure that your foot is not being injured by gait issues related to your toe problem.
3. Plantar Fasciitis
   • One of the most common conditions associated with very flat feet, this condition can also impact those with very high arches in some cases. This is an inflammation of the tissue and tendons that connect the ball of the foot to the heel. This condition can lead to pain so severe that even lying down is painful.
   • Orthotics are very good at relieving the pain of plantar fasciitis by supporting the arch of the foot correctly and by allowing for proper flexion of the foot with correct support as you move. A custom orthotic can also improve the distribution of the weight of your body over your feet when you are standing. This is one of the most common reasons that people seek help from custom orthotics and plantar fasciitis is almost always easily treated with this solution.
4. Diabetes Pain
   • Diabetics can deal with all kinds of foot pain problems that are hard to treat. Some of these conditions are related to neuropathy causing gait issues and a lack of awareness of pressure on the foot which can lead to sores that will not heal. Custom orthotics are perfect for treating this kind of problem because they support the foot and help with gait issues. They also alleviate the pressure that could lead to sores or other kinds of problems like corns. However, it is important to note that rigid and semi-rigid orthotics are not suggested for those with diabetes, due to nerve-damage and the possible resulting injury of wearing them.
5. Pronation and Supination
   • These are opposing conditions related to gait issues. Supination means that you walk on the outsides of your feet too much and pronation means that you walk on the inside of your feet too much. Both conditions can lead to lots of pain in the knees and back as well as shin splints, heel pain, and general foot pain. This discomfort is more obvious in some cases in those that are very active. However, you could have trouble with foot pain due to these issues just walking around some each day.

Orthotics can help to redirect the gait that you use when you are walking and running. You will be much more comfortable as soon as your feet start to get used to walking in a correct, and level fashion. When your feet travel from the heel to the toe correctly, you will be much less likely to deal with other kinds of physical discomfort as well as foot pain.

The kit will come with an impression molding kit that will allow you to take an impression of each of your feet. These are much simpler to use than you might think. You will simply need to place the mold somewhere level, and take off your shoes and socks. Step evenly into the mold with each of your feet and be careful not to push your foot into the mold with the foot flat. You will want your feet to be in their natural resting position when you take your foot mold.

Once you have completed all of this information and taken your foot molds, you will use the directions in your kit to package them both up and send them back to the company that you are working with. The time that it can take to make your orthotics might vary depending on the season and the amount of support that you require, but you will usually get your orthotics back in the mail quite quickly.

While the molds that you have taken off your feet will tell the maker of your orthotic what your foot size is with a lot of accuracy, it can be helpful to relay what size shoe you have been wearing in your survey. If you are not sure what your correct shoe size is, you might actually have been wearing shoes that are too small or too big for your needs.

If you are not really positive about your shoe size, you can head to any sports gear store or shoe shop and they should be able to measure you correctly. You will then know what your actual shoe size is, the kind of arches that you have in your feet, and the width of your heel and the ball of your foot. This can help a great deal with getting the right size shoes to use with your new orthotics. It can also be helpful information for the company that is making your orthotics.

You will also need to be sure that you are not telling them what size of shoe you would like to fit into but do not actually wear. Sometimes people are hopeful that their orthotics will make it possible for them to fit into a different shoe size or a different shoe style, but this is not going to be the case. The size and shape of your foot will not change due to wearing orthotics, so you will need to be certain that you have a good idea of your overall foot shape and your overall foot size before you order your custom orthotics.

Some custom orthotic makers, such as Bilt Labs, can tell you what your shoe size should be based on your foot mold impression.

The only rule of thumb for use of orthotics with shoes is that the shoe needs to be an enclosed shoe with laces for the best fit and comfort. You will find that you cannot make your orthotics stay in place in heels or in shoes like flip-flops, and you should not try to make them work in this way.

You will want to wear your orthotics in closed-toe shoes like sneakers, that fit correctly and offer you support for your daily activities. Heels and flip-flops are not considered supportive shoes. They can even be part of the reason that you are dealing with foot pain each day. Make sure that you are wearing your orthotics with the right kind of shoes that have laces and a closed toe for the best experience with them.

Most people who have uncomfortable feet or painful foot conditions are already wearing shoes like this each day in any case, but it is a fair point to note.

If you have purchased over-the-counter arch supports for your shoes, you can usually remove these items before putting your orthotics into your shoes. The arch supports that were built into the shoes will be mild enough to be no trouble for the orthotics. But you can cause damage to the orthotic by adding it to a shoe that has an additional glued-in arch support or insole in it.

Most of these over-the-counter solutions will not provide meaningful assistance with your foot pain or gait issues anyway and can be removed from the equation entirely since they are not helping your condition. If you do not have the ability to remove these added items from the shoes, you might need to get a new pair of shoes to use with your orthotics once they arrive. You do not want to warp or bend your orthotics the first time you wear them and having the right base for their use is critical to their success in helping with your foot pain.

Another consideration that you need to remember is that you might have added insoles to try to make shoes that did not really fit work for your needs. Even if you remove the added insoles or arch supports that you put into these shoes, if they are the wrong size for your feet, they might damage your custom orthotics.

It is always a good idea to just get a new pair if you are worried that anything that was added to the shoes you have been wearing might impact the effectiveness of your new custom orthotics.

This is not an atypical thing to experience when you first use your orthotic insoles. Your feet might need a little time to adjust to the change that you are asking them to make. This is particularly true if you have a gait issue that has been going on for some time.

It is usually recommended that you wear your custom insoles or orthotics for a few hours each day and slowly build up to wearing them all the time. Your feet will slowly get used to this new way of walking and being supported. And as the inflammation that you have been dealing with heels, your feet will get increasingly comfortable. In some cases, you might need to take a couple of weeks to help your feet recover from being uncomfortable or painful and to allow them to get used to the new support of your insoles.

Slowly increasing the use of your insoles will also allow your feet the time to gain new flexibility and strength that was missing before. This can make all the difference in your foot comfort as you introduce your new insoles or orthotics into your routine. Some kinds of foot issues and gait problems can lead to a breakdown of fatty tissue at the heel and the ball of the foot which can take some time to recover as well.

When you allow your feet the right adjustment period, you will find that your orthotics or insoles will immediately start to improve your discomfort and help alleviate your pain. Adding slowly to your exercise schedule can also help slowly heal your feet and train them to be comfortable with your new insoles.

If you have been struggling with foot pain or knee and back pain for a long time, it is likely that custom insoles are your best bet for alleviating this pain. You might have a gait issue that has not been diagnosed correctly, or maybe you have very flat feet or very high arches. These conditions can all lead to daily foot pain that grows worse over time and can eventually become debilitating.

When you are considering options for the treatment of your foot pain, you need to look at custom insoles as a great solution for your needs. Fully supporting your foot in a way that regular shoes cannot is a key aspect of supporting a healthy foot that is pain-free. While shoes are made in many general sizes that work for lots of people, average shoes sizes and designs might not provide the support that your unique foot shape or gait requires.

There is nothing wrong with this and your shoe fitting woes can be ended with ease if you invest in some custom insoles. Imagine being able to walk, run, or stand without foot pain each day. This kind of pain-free daily experience is possible with custom insoles! Take our free quiz today to find out which orthotic type is best for your feet.