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Footbeds - Off the shelf variety

WJenness

Active member
Joined
Oct 18, 2007
Messages
3,024
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Location
Lowell, MA
I spent most of Saturday trying on boots (thank god I have a patient girlfriend who was happy to browse gear all day)... ended up with a pair of Atomic B-Tech 70s...

What made a big difference in boots working for me vs. not was adding the footbed.

My flat feet caused issues with several boots that I tried on where the inside of my ankle / heel would get squished by the boot and it was painful after 5 minutes or so wearing the boot.

The inserts I ended up with were these: http://www.aline.com/Default.aspx?Page=sFootBed

They're really nifty. They can be customized by adding 2 or 4 mm 'risers' to different parts on the bottom of the footbed. My left foot needed the 4mm risers and my right needed the 2mm ones...

Ski Market had this cool rig where you stand in it and there's a little red laser light (kind of like on those laser levels you can get to hang a shelf straight) that goes up your leg and you can see the difference it makes on the alignment of your knee.

It was really cool and I recommend checking it out.

I might get a pair for my sneakers.

They were only $50, not a bad investment at all.

-w
 

wa-loaf

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 7, 2007
Messages
15,109
Points
48
Location
Mordor
Seems like a nice compromise between $150 customs and $15 off the shelf footbeds. That middle ground was missing for a while.
 

Bumpsis

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 25, 2004
Messages
1,088
Points
48
Location
Boston, MA
I've been using Birkenstock footbed inserts for about 15 some years now, after I "discovered" them in some shoe shop in Colorado. They are a fairly rigid support that is anatomically formed from cork. Great arch support and a real life saver, at least for me. They perform the same as my original, custome made by an orthopedist.

I use them in most of shoes and boots. They cost about $ 45 - $ 50. Worth looking into, although not for everybody, I'm sure since they can't be customized.
Shoe shops that carry Birkenstock usually have them. I highly recommend them.
 
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