UKH

I've just bought some Boreal Aztec 'trainer' type shoes which fit well apart from too much space around the heel.
Looking for a solution- (thicker socks would squash my toes, laces would have to be uncomfortably tight to eliminate the heel movement) - I've seen some things called 'heel grips' . They're basically a padded suede or a gel spacer which is meant to adhere to the shoe inner at the rear.

Has anyone tried using these heel grips in walking shoes? If so, were they a success, and how did you get them to stay put? Reading internet reviews of the things, many people report the grips come unstuck, so I'm reluctant to superglue them in place in case I'm left with something that is likely to cause blisters if they disintegrate with wear.

Anyone?

In reply to llechwedd:
Have you tried glueing in some old, dead Karrimat? It could work?

In reply to Dave the Rave:

I've only got a live Thermarest...

In reply to llechwedd:
You can get sorbothane heel orthotics that may reduce the heel volume? I may have some if you want to try them? No cost

In reply to Dave the Rave:

Thanks, but I'm not after something to go under the heel. That dimension's fine.

In reply to llechwedd:
No probs. what about a piece of Velcro , the eyelet portion, that would stick to your sock?

In reply to llechwedd:

I have been having the same issue with a pair of Salewa Mountain Trainers. Had been considering buying a pair of stick on heel-grips. However, I came upon a pair of old Superfeet insoles, which I think were originally purchased for ski-boots, tried them in the shoes, instead of the supplied footbeds and have almost solved the problem. My heels still slip a tiny bit but it's marginal now, rather than feeling that my feet were going to come all the way out of the shoes.

The Superfeet seem to take up less volume than the original footbeds, so I have no idea why they work so well.

In reply to llechwedd:

I did use some of those stick in padded suede things in some very wide Keens. They worked pretty well for about a year with hill & street use. Must get some more!

Also I agree that a decent insole with a nice heel cup can really help stabilise the heel.

As a matter of interest has anyone ever thought "these shoes/boots would fit really well if they were only wider at the heel"? Just curious!

In reply to llechwedd:

I used the stick on heel pad things that you get from Superdrug ect and they would just come off as I walked. I wouldn't glue them in case you stick them in the wrong place. In the end I purchased a pair of brasher flat innersoles then I cut them in half and stuck the heal section into the bottom of my boot with double sided sticky tape and then put the original innersole on top. I cut the front part of the brasher soles off as I wouldn't have had enough toe space otherwise. By raising the heal by a couple of mil it meant that there was less scope for my heal to move up and down thus alleviating my blistered heal problems. With the original innersole on top you cant feel the small step between the brasher innersole and the base of the boot.

In reply to llechwedd:


If the heel is lifting I'd give this a try as I think it could work. You normally find the heel lifts as far as the boot's padding above the heel allows so by raising the heal or even the whole foot slightly the heel will sit tight in the padding.
I've done exactly what machine has done with the brasher green volume reducers as it compresses less than sorbothane and therefore you get less movement.