View Full Version : Super FEET
2009ThruHiker
04-07-2006, 14:42
Anyone had experience with these pricy shoe inserts called Super Feet? Just wondering if they are worth the money.
unfortunately it is one of those things that you have to make up your own mind - there is a fair chance that you will like them but not everyone does - it mostly depends on _your_ foot matching up with the Super Feet.
That said - I use them all the time and like them. I use them in my trail runners all the time - on trail and off trail.
Anyone had experience with these pricy shoe inserts called Super Feet? Just wondering if they are worth the money.
i used to take 12 to 16 vitimin I's for foot pain.started wearing super feet inserts,i dont take vitimin I anymore,no more foot pain,on long distance hikes,they work for me:cool: neo
Footslogger
04-07-2006, 14:55
Did my thru with them in 2003 and have them in every pair of trail shoes I own.
They're not for everyone and do require some "break-in" but if you have reasonably normal arches and suffer from foot elongation they can really make a noticeable difference.
They are not a "soft" insole. Rather they use a formed heel cup with minor padding to stabilize and hold the heel in place during your stride and the formed arch keeps your foot from elongating when weight is applied.
'Slogger
trippclark
04-07-2006, 15:02
My experience is similar. I used to have foot pain when hiking . . . not extreme, but enough to make me want to try something better. I bought a pair of SuperFeet after reading reviews and online postings. They took a LOT of getting used to! As I recall, the manufacturer recommends that you start out wearing just a few hours a day and gradually increase wear. I did this, but still for 2 - 3 weeks the hurt my (flat) feet. After 3 weeks or so, however, they were no longer uncomfortable. I have less footpain now than before and I wear them in all of my shoes (except Crocs) -- on trail and off. I am wearing them right now.
Based on my experience, however, I would warn you that if you try them to go gradually at first and expect some discomfort until your feet get usd to having that much support in the arch area.
Been wearing Super Feet since '99. Above posts are spot-on. I have used them in my running shoes, soccer cleats, and hiking footwear with success.
Mother's Finest
04-07-2006, 15:33
some people can use a pre-made arch support, other's require a custom product. it depends on the characteristics of gait and the feet.
peace
mf
Mother's Finest
04-07-2006, 15:34
no matter what, super feet will give you more support than the cushioned insole that comes with most shoes and boot.
mf
But can't anymore - I have very thin fat pad in my heels & superfeet way too hard.
I'm now using a product from alimed - http://www.alimed.com/ProductDetail.asp?style=6844&fprd=Poron+4000%26reg%3B+Plastazote%26reg%3B+Insol e&oid1=&oid2=
much more comfortable
I love superfeet, and have several pairs for different shoes/boots.
However.....I broke in a pair for this years hike, and after I hiked 60 miles in them, they caused a very deep blister into the BOTTOM of my foot, I am still off trail since mile 82.2 and plan on going back, but it has been a several week healing process.
They provide a great arch support, but in my case the arch was too high for one of my feet.....I was told by the professional trained custom fitter at the outfitter, that my feet were almost exactly the same, and I didn't need a the custom "melted" ones available, to go with a pair out of the box. My only suggestion would be to get checked by an outfitter that offers the custom fitting, and look at the number/measurement differences yourself, you can see the math and see if you are that different. In retrospect, I should have just gotten the custom ones, and am paying for it now.
I am continuing to use the same superfeet insoles, since now I am healing up while using them and they fit perfectly.
Footslogger
04-07-2006, 16:56
[quote=Smile] My only suggestion would be to get checked by an outfitter that offers the custom fitting, and look at the number/measurement differences yourself, you can see the math and see if you are that different.
===========================================
I was trained by SuperFeet to custom fit their footbeds when I worked for an outfitter. The plastic base is pretty much the same. The difference is the footbed itself. The customs use a brown footbed that is of a different composition. They are heat molded to each foot and therefore take into consideration the differences from foot to foot.
The customs can "dial in" more severe foot elongation and do conform better to the foot than the Green off the shelf "Trim-to-Fits".
'Slogger
generoll
04-07-2006, 17:37
Last year (2005) I was going to start section hiking the AT and try to connect some dots. After 4 days I had to quit at Unicoi in part because of severe arch pain. I also had developed a heel spur, but that's another issue. Even after quitting it hurt to walk until I happened to go to Trail Days and hear the sales pitch from Superfeet. In desperation, I bit and got a pair of customs for my Vasque Sundowners. For me the difference was sudden and dramatic. I had some soreness as my feet adapted to being held more rigidly, but except for the heel spur my foot pain quickly went away.
This year I did a two week section hike, covered about 120 miles and never experienced the slightest arch pain. I carried a pair of crocs because I thought I should and because they would be easier to get on for those middle of the night strolls that gentlemen of certain years sometimes need to take, but frankly, with my Superfeet I had no real urgent need to remove my boots at the end of a days hike.
YMMV
hikerjohnd
04-07-2006, 18:22
My shoes wore out before the insoles did... Then I could not fit the insoles into my new shoes - they were comfy, but too pricy to change with each shoe, assuming I needed to. Just FYI - I walk through a pair of tennis shoes in about 3 months around campus. (but I do not buy expensive shoes)
I have the blue Superfeet because I have a low arch. I trim down some of the plastic base toward the front and they fill great. I plan to get a custom fit pair at Trail Daze if they are there.
I too had heard great things about Superfeet. I stopped in at Mount Rogers Outfitters in Damascus while on a section hike last year and spent a couple of hours going over my foot measurements, unweighted, weighted, elongations, heel-toe, heel-ball, width, etc. My foot problem is that I have a 1/2 size difference from left foot to right foot, and a double E size difference. I asked MRO about Superfeet and they said that they are great for the people that need them. They help align you body, and keep it aligned and they help people with arch support. That was not my problem, but I felt bad for spending so much time, and I heard so much positive about them, that I bought a pair anyway, that took almost another hour (I have the green type). They had them custom fitted. I wore them the rest of my section hike, I didn't see any different. I do use them in my Salomon low quarters now, but that's because I spent so much on them. Superfeet are not for everyone, the people that need them swear by them. Don't think that they are the answer for you, go to a good outfitter like (MRO) and ask them. For me I should have saved the money.
There are other threads on Superfeet. Nothing recently however.
My story: After I hiked half of the AT, my feet were so tender that it took months before they felt normal again. The next summer I used Superfeet, and hiked another half of the AT. My feet felt fine, and I was back to running road races within days after getting off the trail.
Like others have posted, they work great for some people, and not at all for others. Make sure that the footbeds are fitted to your feet. There is more to it than picking the appropriate size off the shelf.
I am one of the ones for whom Superfeet did not work out. I bought a pair in Damascus and by Greyson Highlands was experiencing serious leg pain. After limping more than half a day inspiration struck and I ditched the Superfeet. End of problem.
They work for some and not for others. The only way to really know is to try them.
I like them and have put lots of trail miles on them. Also, I like the Spenco insoles. They used to be less expensive. But since I've switched to superfeet, I haven't bought any in a while so I don't know anymore.
eArThworm
04-07-2006, 23:15
... it hurt to walk until I happened to go to Trail Days and hear the sales pitch from Superfeet. In desperation, I bit and got a pair of customs for my Vasque Sundowners. For me the difference was sudden and dramatic...
I had the same type of dramatic improvement. I had plantar fasciitis and two different custom orthotics from the podiatrist did zilch for me. I was in severe pain for years. Then I had custom superfeet made at Trail Days and was able to walk and backpack with almost no pain at all. I was so happy, I gave Phil Oren a kiss on the cheek. I don't think he knew what to make of that.
Mother's Finest
04-08-2006, 09:59
people with foot problems, particularly that need proper arch support, should seek the services of a Certified Pedorthist, or C.Ped in their local area.
A good C.Ped will couple proper shoe fitting knowledge with the ability to produce a high-quality custom orthotic.
for more information, please check www.cpeds.org (http://www.cpeds.org)
peace
mf
Travel_Girl82
04-08-2006, 14:23
I got my Superfeet insoles a week ago, and I love them. I have fallen arches, and even though my feet needed a little time to get used to the super supportive arch, they are in fact, wonderful.
RockyTrail
04-08-2006, 22:49
I've used Super Feet for years (the standard green ones) in my boots.
They feel hard to the touch, and you would think that would make them uncomfortable, but they work great for me. It's counter-intuitive, you think that a soft insole would feel the best but I guess the firmness really holds your feet in shape over the long haul.
Like the above posters said, they are not for everyone (feet are different) but I enjoy them. Get your feet checked at an outfitter to see if you need the "custom" ones, I didn't.