superfeet?

[vtdrifter]

I bought my trail runners today, and the shoestore guy also sold me a pair of Superfeet (the green ones, chosen by length, not by heel/arch size). He said they would help keep my feet from spreading, and properly support my arch, etc etc. He did assure me that I can return them, which brings me to my dilemna.

I'd never heard of them until he pointed them out. From what I've read on here tonight, most people have bought them AFTER having foot problems. I've got no foot problems that I know of, and am not particularly concerned about any possible foot spreading.

Basically, my question is thus: are Superfeet a good idea as a possible prevention method? Should I hold off and only get them if I have foot problems?

[pyroman53]

Keep em. Use em. They work. Prevent problems and walk easier.

[ChinMusic]

From my experiences with Superfeet I would keep them and use them.

[hopefulhiker]

I found that the green ones take some breaking in.. Personally I hiked from Damascus north with the blue ones, in trail runners, which are a little softer and they did a good job.. especially in PA....

[Pedaling Fool]

I've never used them or any type of shoe insert. Superfeet are kind of popular on the trail, I've heard mostly good reviews of them, but some who really didn't like them and some that even hated them.

WRT "feet spreading" what meant by that?

[Tinker]

The green ones take up more room in the shoe, so if the shoe is sloppy, or your feet are flat and low volume (like mine), those are what you want to use. I've always had foot problems and Superfeet have worked for me. I've never heard of them as a prevention for foot problems (especially foot spreading, width-wise, or elongating, length-wise), but if they are comfortable, use them.
I've had both elongation and spreading (in the forefoot). It is quite typical for a flat footed person to experience these on a long hike. People with high arches, I've heard, don't have these problems as much as they do forefoot and heel bruising.

[Roland]

~
Basically, my question is thus: are Superfeet a good idea as a possible prevention method? Should I hold off and only get them if I have foot problems?

Notice that everyone responding to this thread so far is at least 2 or 3 times your age; myself included. So, take our advice with a grain of salt, as most of us have forgotten what it's like to be 18 years old. But that won't stop me from offering my two cents.

At your age, you probably don't need the insoles. Your muscles and tendons are probably resilient enough to handle the pounding a thru-hike will give them, without breaking down.

That being said, you should know that most athletes (of any age), particularly runners, use orthotics. I learned this from a sports podiatrist, as I discounted the use of insoles as something only "old people" need. In the end, I gave into the Dr's suggestion (because I'm old) and I'm happy I did. They have helped me immensely.

Like you, I am concerned in the way you were fitted for Superfeet. Foot length is only one consideration. Arch height and distance from heel-to-arch are probably more critical factors in choosing the right support. My advice is try the insoles. If they cause pain, stop using them. You should not have to break-in your foot to fit the insole. Instead, go back to the store and try other sizes and styles, until you find the right match for your foot. Off-the-shelf insoles are made for average feet. We don't all have "average feet". Don't ruin your feet trying to make them fit an insole.

[fiddlehead]

I'm one of those who used them when i had a problem.
THey helped my problem (throbbing, aching arches when hiking hard and fast)

Once my problem went away and i wore out the superfeet, i never bought them again.
I will if i have problems again that i think they might help. In the meantime, I'll save my money.

[Nearly Normal]

I can't see how you will return them.
You remove the existing footbed and cut the superfeet to match.
There is a break in period.

[Peaks]

If you bought the superfeet based on length, and not on fit to heal and arch, then go back to the store and get a pair that is fitted to your heal and arch.

Echoing other posts, superfeet work great for most people, but not for all. Yes, properly fitted they will help prevent your feet from spreading do the pounding they take, and the extra weight your body is carrying.

[margo]

I had 2 pairs of custom orthotics but the superfeet work best for me. I use both the geen ones and blue ones depending on the volume of the shoe.

My foot problems got worse and worse as I got older but I think if I would have had better shoes and insoles when I was younger it would not have gotten so bad. I have arthric spurs on several places that don't bother me as much as it used to but maybe they could have been prevented.

Some people are bothered by superfeet but this would be evident by now, if they bothered you I mean.

[Appalachian Tater]

I think Superfeet work great but they must cost well under $1.00 to manufacture and have one of the highest markups of any hiking equipment other than those tiny rolls of toilet paper. No doubt a shoe salesman likes selling them.

[Footslogger]

I bought my trail runners today, and the shoestore guy also sold me a pair of Superfeet (the green ones, chosen by length, not by heel/arch size). He said they would help keep my feet from spreading, and properly support my arch, etc etc. He did assure me that I can return them, which brings me to my dilemna.

I'd never heard of them until he pointed them out. From what I've read on here tonight, most people have bought them AFTER having foot problems. I've got no foot problems that I know of, and am not particularly concerned about any possible foot spreading.

Basically, my question is thus: are Superfeet a good idea as a possible prevention method? Should I hold off and only get them if I have foot problems?

======================================

First off, SuperFeet are not for everyone. Your initial comment concerns me though, having been trained by the SuperFeet company to fit and sell their products (prior life). ALL SuperFeet are supposed to be sold based on the width of your heel and then trimmed to length ...NOT vice versa.

With that out of the way, I would tell you that SuperFeet (if they are right for you) are primarily designed to accomplish 2 functions: First, they stabilize your heel as it strikes the ground at the beginning of a stride. Second, they support the arch and prevent (or at least inhibit) relaxation of the arch which leads to elongation of the foot.

Whether you have foot problems or not, SuperFeet are a great idea ...if they work for you. Just know that they do require a little "break-in" period. Most people who stick them in their shoes and start hiking develop some discomfort and even bruising on the lower, inside surface of the arch. Best bet is to carry them with you for the first week or two of hiking and alternate them with the factory insert until they feel natural.

Happy Trails ...

'Slogger

[Blissful]

I couldn't use them because I am very flatfooted and it hurt my arches. With a normal or higher arch, you'd probably do well with them. I went with Spenco hiker insoles and loved them.

[AT-HITMAN2005]

i used them. not only did they require some breaking in but your feet need some adjusting to them to.

i wore them prior to my hike at work(on my feet most of the day). would wear them a couple hours to start and then switch them out with the old inserts. then gradually over a couple weeks i would wear them longer until i was wearing them all the time. if your foot over-pronates its suppose to correct it.

[highway]

They were too hard a feel for me and I returned mine. I just did not like them. But remember that footwear, more than any other gear other than alcohol stoves is given to extremely opinionated points of view. So, what may work (or not) for one is not necessarily the same for an other. You will just have to go your own way.

[Bearpaw]

I am one of those younger guys who started wearing Superfeet and have much healthier feet because of them. After many years of road marches in the Marine Corps, I have a severe falling arch. My instep spreads so much that it expands lateraly almost a half inch, requiring me to wear very wide footwear. (Regular cut Montrails are WAY too narrow and would bruise my feet to the point of being difficult to walk). My foot would also extend about 3/4's of a size from sitting to standing.

In 1999, I hiked the AT without Superfeet where the word was that they would bruise your feet and you wouldn't be able to walk.

Well, here's the deal. You MUST give them break-in time. Superfeet generally recommends wearing them no more than an hour of walking time or twice that standing) each day for the first week. Walk no more than 2 hours or so per day for the second week. And use your discretion by the third.

If you have narrow heels and high arches, your break-in will be less. If you have wide heels and relatively flat feet (like my bearpaws), expect considerably more, upwards of a month. But if you go out there and just hike with unshaped Superfeet, you will most likely bruise your feet, possibly severely.

But when broken in, they hold your heel nicely and greatly reduce expansion. I have hiked another 3000 or more miles since I started wearing Superfeet in 2001 at age 29. My foot health has improved substantially and their hiking comfort is dramatically improved - once they're broken in.

[take-a-knee]

My daughter, who was 14yo at the time, was running X-country and having pain in both arches. A shoe salesman at REI reccommended the green Superfeet and they helped her feet a great deal. She now uses them in her hiking boots, she forgot them on one hike and had a lot of foot pain. I should add that her feet are fairly flat (low arches). I reccommend going to a locally owned running store that actually hires runners and trains them properly to fit shoes. Someone there should be able to help.

[vtdrifter]

Thanks for all the advice guys! I'll take them back to the store and re-evaluate the fit. Then I'll give them a shot and see how my feet like them!

[ChinMusic]

Thanks for all the advice guys! I'll take them back to the store and re-evaluate the fit. Then I'll give them a shot and see how my feet like them!

I agree strongly with Slogger in that width is the #1 priority with regards to Superfeet. I had issues with blisters on the sides of my heels for years and just figured that was the way it was. I would routinely duct tape up my heels.

After I got Superfeet my heel blisters never came back. They may not work for everyone but they do for me.