UKH

I've got a pair of Mendl boots that I absolutely adore but came with pretty bad insoles. I tried a few cheap ones that improved a bit but still don't cushion as well as I would like. Can someone recommend what are the good custom/moldable insoles on the market? Thanks

In reply to Getoiu:

I've got some Superfeet Trailblazers. They were a short term solution while I had some custom insoles made. I still carry them while I get used to the custom ones as they are a bit more comfortable albeit they don't give me quite as much support. But they're good and I would recommend them if you don't need proper custom made ones.

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In reply to Getoiu:

I’ve had some experiences with super feet custom insoles and didn’t find them to be very good.  The problem seems to me that they mould to your foot when it isn’t loaded.  I had two pairs of superfeet custom, neither of which really worked for me.

I eventually got a pair of Sidas custom insoles made (at tiso in Glasgow) which are far better.  I think they were generally aimed at skiers but I use them in my B3s. Their machine takes an impression of your foot under load and the insoles are shaped to that.  I’ve been using them for nearly 2 years and they are still going strong.

In reply to Getoiu:

I'd be careful using ski boot insoles for walking boots. Ski boots are sized differently to walking boots so the insoles are different if they're custom made. I've got some custom insoles for ski boots as well and tried them in my walking boots and it didn't work for me at all. No flex in them , however they were better than the ones that came with the walking boots. The custom insoles I got for walking were from a qualified podiatrist and they're good.

There you go. Two replies with completely different experiences and suggestions! I guess that means you've probably got to try a few things and see what works best for you. Good luck!

In reply to metrorat:

I wear insoles to reduce over-pronation, and have some custom Superfeet which are great. If they'd been moulded to my loaded foot they'd have been no good because it would have built in the over-pronation. 

However they aren't very cushioned, which is what the OP is looking for. Superfeet have a variety of insoles available with different amounts of cushioning. Sole are  also quite cushioned. 

I'd suggest taking the boots to a decent shop that has a selection that you can try. 

In reply to Getoiu:

To be clear Sidas custom insoles are not necessarily for skiing.  They offer ski boot insoles but the ones I have are for general use.  The machine and the method they use for producing the I insole is worth checking out for yourself, and I’d recommend chatting through it with the person who is trained in its use.  They’ll give you a much better explanation than I can of how it works.

My feet also over-pronate however the Sidas machine both supports the foot and moulds to a position where there is even pressure across the entire sole of the foot so it both fully supported while still under load.  It’s hard to explain but to my feet feels way ahead of the superfeet vacuum bag system and has resulted in much more comfortable insoles for me.

In reply to Getoiu:

Sidas custom - a very good investment.  Highly recommended.

So I went ahead and got Sidas moulded to my feet and while they're argonomically perfect have zero cushioning which was not what I was after. I'll have to try a few other brands and will use the sidas in my snowboard boots.

In reply to Getoiu:

Which ones did you get? They make quite a lot of types, both in their normal and custom-molded range. I have yet to see good original manufacturer boot insoles, with all my new boots replacing them with Sidas is the first thing I do.

If your feet need just low or high arch support, have a look at their normal (not custom molded) range, almost every type has normal/low/high variant and the normal range has more cushioned models (with gel pockets, I guess gel doesn't take well to heat forming).

In reply to Frank R.:

To be fair I can't complain from the ergonomics of any insoles but they're all verry stiff. My Meindl Bhutan have a stiff sole and I used to buy foam insoles from poundland that I really liked but last just a few days of hiking hence why I started looking for proper insoles. When I got in store I asked the person at the shoes department (which was very helpful) which insoles are the best and he recommended to mould a custom Sidas. They only had two types for skiing and hiking and moulded really nice but are extremely stiff and have baraly any cushioning. A friend of mine recommended Footprint Gamechangers and was thinking to give them a go or find something to put on top of the sidas.

In reply to Getoiu:

Well, hope you find something that suits you! I have several normal (not moulded) Sidas insoles with gel inserts and usually they last me for years. But I guess the moulded ones are stiffer because of the process and no gel inserts...

In reply to Getoiu:

From what I recall of my days flogging Superfeet, their principle is to encourage your foot into the 'correct' position, so as to enable your built-in cushioning to work better. Not sure how other brands compare, or how physiologically accurate it all really is, but I still use Superfeet in most of my 'active' footwear and it does seem to help