Hiking with orthotics

[Turk6177]

I suffered from achilles tendonitis from running for a year before a podiatrist custom fit me with a pair of hard plastic (or fiberglass resin) orthotics to fix a pronation problem. I hike in New Balance 810's. This fall while hiking the GA section of the AT, my orthotic wore a small hole through the side of my shoe after only around 50 miles (the shoes probably only had 40 miles on them prior to this hike). I believe it happened when my shoes were wet from rain and maybe the cloth upper was weak. My question is, has anyone thru hiked while wearing similar hard orthotics? My concern is getting tendinitis if I go without them, but i am also concerned about wearing a hole in my shoes and needing new ones every 200 miles. If you have hiked with these shoe inserts, please let me know if you experienced similar results and what you did about it. I will also check with my podiatrist to see if there is a softer alternative i could switch to for hiking. Thank you in advance for your thoughts and experiences. :-?

[jimmyjam]

There are soft ones made for sneakers. I've got a pair- your podiatrist can make them for you but as you know they really stick it to you $$$$$$. But I've found now that's it's been 5yrs or so since my foot surgery I can do just fine with over the counter orthotics.

[peakbagger]

New Balance 8 series are great trails shoes but they arent known for their durability. I use them in the whites and in one season I will usualy wear a pair out even without orthotics. Unfortunately it seems that everytme they come out with a new model in the series they get even lighter weight and construction. I think its critical that the orthotic is shaved to exactly match the original shoe insert and that it is securely glued to the sole of the show so it doesnt slide around.

I have extra wide feet and even with the 4E width I still end up with a hole in the side where my little toes is pressing on the fabric.

[Snowleopard]

I've used hard orthotics in a couple of shoes/boots with no visible wear on the shoes, not on a thruhike but enough to see if its wearing out fast. Something funny might be going on, I don't think the orthotic should be moving enough to wear out the shoe. Ask your podiatrist if he has any suggestions.

[Bati]

I've used hard orthotics in a couple of shoes/boots with no visible wear on the shoes, not on a thruhike but enough to see if its wearing out fast. Something funny might be going on, I don't think the orthotic should be moving enough to wear out the shoe. Ask your podiatrist if he has any suggestions.

If the problem appears to be very lightweight shoes, consider just taping the inside area of the shoe at the wear point before you insert the orthotic. This might reinforce the shoe sufficiently I've found that orthotics increase some wear on the heel where I insert them, but in general they make soft shoes like sneakers last months longer than they would without the orthotics.

Also, if you don't have a full orthotic, consider getting a full cover put on that includes the toe portion. You can trim the toe end to fit the shoes as it adds no support, but it will help keep an orthotic that only support the heel from sliding around so much.

[MuddyWaters]

I have the same hard polymer orthotics in my shoes , everyday, for about 20 yrs now.
Reshaped my foot, put arch back in them, and cured plantar fasciaitis
They are a about 2/3 the length of my foot. Only stay in place by shape with the heel/arch. They can move a bit.
They have worn down slightly over time.
I hike with them, no issues. My feet are molded to them.
The bottom of them makes an imprint on the stock insole, thats all.

[rhjanes]

Take the orthotics and shoes back to the doctor. Something is wrong. I use Merrill, hike 25 to 30 a week with hard orthotics. It takes around 500 miles to wear out just the inside lining of the shoe.

[Colter]

I have done several thru-hikes with hard orthotics and they didn't wear holes in my shoes. I did have at least one set that caused me to over-pronate slightly, so don't be reluctant to address any issues you are having with them. Perhaps you can try them with another pair of shoes. If it happens again I'd explain the issue to the podiatrist. By the way, I've gone to store-bought, soft orthotics and for me they work just as well.

[BrianLe]

Ditto, I wear hard plastic orthotics and haven't had any issues of shoe wear as a result.
I do slowly wear out the orthotics themselves --- I mean the hard plastic part, not just the soft foam top they layer on. I've had the soft foam part replaced but ultimately replaced the underlying hard plastic part this year after the CDT; holes essentially through at the heels, parts of the hard plastic threatening to break off. That takes quite a lot of miles, however; you can certainly trash the foam top on one thru-hike, but not likely the hard plastic part.

[Turk6177]

Thanks for your suggestions. I guess I should mention that it was the side of the shoe, not the bottom that wore a hole through it. I will take my shoe and orthotic to my podiatrist to see what he says. It is good to know that there are others that use these without problems with their shoes. That gives me the peace of mind that with the right pair, I can do the same.