Men’s shoes, sneakers, flats, or high heels: No matter what type of shoe people wear, many end up with sore feet.

“My arches would hurt quite a bit and sometimes my back,” Clark Bolton said.

He finally decided to try shoe inserts hoping for relief.

“They feel awesome,” Bolton said. “They don’t get tired or they don’t ache. My back feels better. When I’m running, I don’t get shin splints.”

Trying Inserts for the First Time

Reasons for insoles:

  • High arch
  • Flat foot
  • Plantar fasciitis
  • Add comfort
  • Help relieve foot pain
  • Improve performance for athletes

A variety of inserts and prices are available from over the counter to custom-made through a podiatrist.

We visited Fit2Run where they sell foam insoles.

A digital scanner helps figure out which insert should work best for you. It recommended the L-400 for Consumer Wise host Angie Moreschi.  

She tried one shoe with an insert and one without.

“If you have them in, you should feel this almost like what I call a WOW moment,” Fit2Run store employee Greg Hodge said.

As someone who doesn’t really have foot pain, it didn’t make a huge difference for me.

“I’m feeling a little more support on this side definitely,” Moreschi said. “I feel a little pressure pushing up for the bottom.”

Compare that to Clark’s experience.

“You’re bouncing. It makes a huge difference, especially if you’re walking for distances or standing for a long time,” Bolton said.

Knowing if you need one

If you try an insert and it doesn’t feel really good and make a difference right away, well, you might not need one. 

If you have sore feet and inserts give you that “wow” moment, however, that’s pretty priceless.

There are a variety of different inserts and price-points available — from over the counter to custom-made through a podiatrist.  

  • Gel insoles — lower cost at $20-$40
  • Foam mid-range at $40-$70
  • Custom-made metal or plastic — more expensive at $100-$500

Click here for a more in depth look at orthotics from Pain Science.