Table of Contents:
Introduction
If you are a runner, you know how important the right gear is to perform at your best. From shoes, hat, electrolyte preference, it’s all dialed in. However, one area that’s often overlooked, but shouldn’t be, is your insoles.
Whether you have plantar fasciitis, overpronation, flat feet, arthritis, or other common conditions, orthotic insoles help improve your overall gait mechanics which in turn lessons your pain . Additionally, orthotic insoles can help prevent injury, improve posture, and even impact your overall run speed!
Let’s go ahead and deep dive into everything related to orthotic insoles for runners, and break down the best pairs on the market.
Why use Orthotic Insoles when running
Arch Support/Pronation Prevention
When running, it’s common to roll your feet inside, known as pronation. While some pronation is normal and encouraged, during a long gait cycle we tend to over-extend that inward roll into ‘over-pronation’, leading to foot pain as well as back pain. With arch support from orthotic insoles, the foot won’t overpronate and provides an overall more efficient gate.
Injury Prevention
Our bodies aren’t meant to be running on hard concrete, especially over long miles. While shoes may help, the reality is it’s not enough to offset that pressure - You need quality insoles to cushion yourself against the ground. The insoles reduce the tension on your joints and ligaments from repetitive stress injuries and keep you running for longer!
Performance Gain
When your body is more efficient, delays soreness and fatigue. This might not be apparent immediately, but over time and miles, the extra cushion and stabilization of the foot will keep you fresher for longer ( and in turn faster).
Types of Orthotic Insoles
Not all orthotic insoles are created equally, and we can generally categorize them into three buckets.
Over The Counter (OTC) Insoles
These are the insoles most commonly found in drug stores and feature name brands like Dr. Scholl’s. The benefit is that they are cheap: often less than $20. The downside is that price point almost always ensures a product that will not last. Additionally, they aren’t going to add sufficient arch support from our research because they optimize for comfort, not support. What I mean by that is they are adding cushion, but not in ‘corrective’ aspects like arch support and a deep heel cup (more on that later).
Custom Orthotics
Custom orthotic insoles is generally a bucketed term for any insole that is custom to the individual, especially as it relates to an individual’s foot shape.
Using either digital or physical casts, a clinician can create the orthotic based around the patient's foot. On the plus side these orthotics are quite accurate, ensuring a perfect fit and optimization for the patient’s needs. The downside is if you have to go into a clinic, you will often pay more than $400 per pair.
Semi-custom orthotic Insoles
This category is a bit brand dependent, but some companies like Superfeet try to split the needle by having a wide range of OTC models, making them semi-custom. For example, Superfeet has models with low arches, medium arch, and high arches. While it may not be as good as custom fittings, this does reduce the cost over custom orthotics and is often the next avenue if OTC orthotics are not working.
Important Features of a Running Insole
Moisture Wicking and Odor Reducing Top Layer
Let’s be real… your spouse doesn’t want your running shoes stinking up your house. However, if a top layer is simple EVA foam then that’s what you are going to get! To combat odor and moisture, you are going to want a material like Polyester which is hydrophobic by not absorbing water into its fibers.
Ideally, the orthotic should be treated with some sort of antimicrobial treatments as well to avoid odors. Coating like silver ions, zinc, or even bamboo charcoal are great at keeping odors at bay over long use.
Wide Width
A common complaint among runners who use insoles is that the foot ends up hurting on the edges. This is because as we run, the foot ends up filling with blood and ends up being wider. Combine that with the extra pressure the body places on our soles when running, and it’s a recipe for blisters. As such, the orthotic should be wide enough, generally at least 1cm, than the foot when not under weight bearing loads. This gives the foot room to expand and not rub up against the orthotic.
Firmness
Tremendous load is placed on the foot when running, so any soft or even semi rigid material is just going to buckle in the short term. In the long run, it won’t retain its original strength. For that reason, we recommend an orthotic insole with a strong core made at least of plastic.
Orthotic insoles need to offer the arch support, heel cup, and offloading pressure, which is only possible with a strong orthotic. A soft orthotic can offer cushion, but is generally more helpful if you have something like high arches where pressure is primarily on the ball of the foot during gait.
Materials
For materials, we recommend looking at something like TPU, or polypropylene. Orthotics that are just made of gels and foams are not going to cut it! For example, see the Walk Hero orthotic below which is made of EVA Foam… EVA Foam is a good mid-layer, but not firm enough to use while running.
Best Orthotic Insoles for Running
With some basic understanding of what causes foot pain while running and what to look for in an orthotic, let’s look at 3 pairs at different price points. Whether you have plantar fasciitis, flat feet, in hoka’s, brooks, etc etc, these are your best bets!
Best Budget Orthotic Insole for Running
Price: $11.99 for 2 Pairs
Pros:
- 2 Pairs for 12 bucks is quite a steal
- Well constructed Plastic through the whole foot
Cons
- Only comes in two mens sizes (4-7) and (8-11)
- If it’s too long it’s not terribly easy to cut down
At the budget price of $12 for 2 pairs we have the Xini foot arch support. This pair is found on Amazon and has a strong plastic base throughout the foot. This is ideal for someone with flat feet looking for additional support, or someone who over-pronates. If you just want a cushion, this is probably not your best pair as they are focused on support. As someone summarized online: “ They aren’t very cushiony, but that’s something newbies want. The pros want support and that’s what these are.”
A downside for this product is also that it’s made of plastic and is challenging to cut through if the default sizes don’t fit in your shoe. Because there are only two sizes, you likely will have to cut down. Make sure you have strong enough scissors to get through the material, or look at our next offering…
Best Overall Orthotic Insole for Running
SuperFeet All Purpose Support Insoles (Green)
Pros:
- High Density Foam Upper
- Firm Shell Core Orthotic
- Deep Heel Cup
Cons
- $40+ Dollars isn’t cheap for non-custom
- Thick Foam may not fit in all shoes
- Only ⅔ Length orthotic
Specifications:
- Mid Layer: EVA Foam, Max Density
- Top Layer: Polyester
- Base Material: Plastic
- Durability: 1 Year/500 miles
At the top of our list we have the always impressive Superfeet green orthotic. With its reinforced plastic undercarriage and signature wide heel cup, this is the perfect insole for those who want a good insole without breaking the bank.
The one downside for this insole is it’s one size fits all. Therefore if you happen to have flat arches or have different shaped feet (which a majority of people have), this orthotic may not fit well and cause pain in the arch area. It’s not a super high arch, but high enough to where you might want to look at other models if you are flat footed.
Best Premium Orthotic Insole for Running
Stride Soles Custom Running Orthotic
Pros:
- 100% custom for your foot shape
- Lasts 5 years plus
- Moisture Wicking
Cons:
- $137 is more expensive than the other pairs
-
You cannot go to a store and purchase the product
At the top of our premium list is the Stride Soles Running Orthotic. What makes this a remarkable pair of insoles is how sturdy yet light the orthotic is. Made up of TPU with max shore hardness you’ll get an orthotic that lasts multiple years and has the rebound effect to support even the heaviest of individuals.
Furthermore, they’ve added a few unique features tailor made just for running insoles. Let’s break them down through an image:
Around the big toe, the Stride orthotic has a lowered area, known as a ‘lowered first ray’. To bend the big toe, your body utilizes the Flexion Tendon. This tendon is under high stress while running, so Stride has given the toe extra space to move and facilitate a more natural flex of the toe.
Secondly, the orthotic has a strategic toe bar. This toe bar increases the contact area of the forefoot and stabilizes the foot during gait. Both are critical to keeping your feet straight and injury free.
Note: It’s unfortunate that most insoles either only provide a cushion in the toe area, or simply leave that part out of the orthotic. This is a miss as the toes are responsible for push off and are a major part of any run.
Conclusion
Hopefully through this discussion you have a good idea of what orthotic insole is right for you. If you have any questions about orthotics, insoles, or anything else foot related, don’t hesitate to reach out to us directly at team@stridesoles.com
