Any of ya tried Dr. Scholl's shoe inserts?

I just bought the regular men's version to try in my work semi-dress shoes. While it does seem to provide more heel and arch cushioning, because it is basically a one size fits all, it's short and the upper foot/toe area is left without any support at all. I find in order for it to fit comfortably in the shoe, I have to remove the original insert and so this leaves me without any cushioning at all in the upper foot, toe area. I see the gel version which I wish I would have purchased instead is much longer and you trim it to fit the shoe. I didn't initially purchase the gel version because it looked like it might be too "wiggly" as I can't think of a better word and perhaps my foot would "swish" around inside the shoe.

What are your experiences with either version?

The gel version is fairly comfortable and for me it didn't really "swish" . The only problem with the gel insole insert is that it traps heat and your feet will sweat more than usual. You may get better results with a gel heel insert only.

I found sorbathane heel inserts effective..though a bit expensive, they last a long time..whole foot sorbathane inserts are a bit on the heavy side, maybe there are thinner ones available now..

You can have a podiatrist make a mold of your feet and then they'll mill inserts out of a solid block of polypropylene (or some plastic material of sorts) for around $300 or...(I have these due to an injury - basically my feet are in a computer file somewhere in California!)

SPENCO sorbathane brand inserts are probably one of the better ones on the market for the price as compared to Dr. Scholls - IMHO. There are other "generic fit" polypropylene inserts that can be bought from your local podiatrist as well for around $50 or so (they tried these before they had to make my custom ones).

spenco sport gel insert is much better than Dr. Scholl. I use gel insert on all my shoes. Gel of spenco is thicker and doesn't get compress like Dr. Scholl insert. Dr. Scholl insert is intended for light office user who walks on carpet.

Spenco makes a more rugged product.

Are the Spenco inserts available at commonly known brick and mortar stores?

I've seen them in most shoe/health & beauty departments of the B&M stores, drug stores, & some sporting goods stores (Sports Authority, REI...).

These things do help, but they are expensive and they are not a cure all. If you just want to be more comfortable wandering around the office then they are fine, but no insert is a replacement for a properly fitted and adjusted shoe. You need to go to a REAL shoe store that can not only measure your foot properly and get you a shoe that fits, but can evaluate and get you the proper supports and inserts and whatever. A little foam might feel good walking to the water cooler, but it wont let you actually stand or work longer without pain like a properly setup shoe will.

Gee, reread your original post to see if you wanted something for shock absorption or arch support.. now I see the question stemmed from the ill-fitting shoe and needingto remove the original cushioning..

have you considered trying another size/brand of shoe? I had this problem too, and after a long time of insert swapping, realized I needed a larger size shoe..

Ive been through those mart store inner soles, they all fail miserability. I even tried the gel ones and they just flatten out to the print of my foot.

I go to the athletic shoe stores in the malls and get the 30-40 dollar inserts. Man, those rock. I just recently went to new balance and had the doc look at me walk. He said I was putting my weight on the outside of my foot and needed inner foot support. Bought the inserts and shoes and was happily on my way. I swap the inserts between shoes and as soon as I can get a firm understanding of the dress code at my new job, looking to get another pair of nike air marathons and inserts. Nothing like feeling you are walking on air.

geepondy said:

Are the Spenco inserts available at commonly known brick and mortar stores?

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spenco should be available at common brick & mortar store. you can visit sport stores such as REI, outdoor Bass etc... They will definitely have them in stock.

Well in a nutshell, I think I suffer from Plantar Fasciitis, mostly my right foot. It bothered me greatly one summer many years ago but really hasn't been a problem until for some reason this past summer and fall. I also have lower arches then normal. My most comfortable shoes are my New Balance cross-training sneakers but I only wear them with jeans. When wearing "dressier" clothes at work, I wear a pair of Rockport shoes that are light weight and fairly comfortable but still have thin cushioning inserts without much arch support. I mainly want to get some inserts for those to try. I also started running again after a layoff which I'm sure has not helped the problem but I ran like a fiend (comparatively speaking) last summer without any problem. I have a pair of stability running sneakers but even though they are not that old, maybe they are too old and have broken down. I probably should find a proper athletic store and get fitted for new running sneakers as well.

Back to the inserts, there is a REI close to work and at least on their web site, they have a wide selection of inserts. Also there are a lot of Footlocker stores at the malls, do they know their stuff? I am definitely going to check out the REI store tomorrow.

I was looking online at inserts and came across this page in which they recommend the power step inserts for Plantar Fasciitis, anybody heard of them? At $24 the price is certainly right although I'm not against spending more for the right product. What I like is that you can order to size as opposed to the "trim to fit" method.

https://plus37.safe-order.net/cgi-heelspurs/a/b.cgi?p=pow

geepondy said:

...Well in a nutshell, I think I suffer from Plantar Fasciitis...

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Been there - done that! That's my problem. I've had two "Orthotripsy" procedures and finally they went in and cut (they call it "releasing") the tissue about 2/3rds across the bottom of my heel. Now I wear the expensive poly inserts for life I guess! Don't let my feet touch the floor (except in the shower), I've always got a good pair of shoes on with the inserts.

BTW - there's a lot of conservative treatments/exercises before getting surgery.

Sigman, if they do the surgery are you restricted in what you can do? Could you still run, play sports etc., whatever you did before?

I have plantar fasciitis secondary to walking over 13 miles per night, and being on my feet for 10+ hours/night.
It is very difficult to "cure", and is usually considered chronic.

I use OTC inserts that were further customized by my podiatrist. They work very well, but someday I will cough up the $300 for the permanent versions, since the OTC versions wear out over time.

Sigmon made some excellent points. You need to avoid walking without shoe suport. You also need to use motion control shoes--it turns out that New Balance makes some pretty good ones. I wear the 925/936 models almost exclusively. You can test motion control by picking up a shoe, and trying to twist it. The less twisting, the better.

Rest, massage, stretching, antiinflammatories are good as well.

Oh, and I use the Powerstep 3/4: about $24. My doc adjusts them will little glued-on pads for $5, but, they are quite good stock.

geepondy said:

Sigman, if they do the surgery are you restricted in what you can do? Could you still run, play sports etc., whatever you did before?

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I don't run and long walks hurt my foot. However, I imagine it depends on how bad you've messed up your foot. I was "ignorant" when it happened (won't get into those details - but my podiatrist said I traumatized my foot)...I continued to walk and work on it for some time - thinking/hoping it would get better when I actually only made it worse. So I had a severe case...when getting out of a vehicle, climbing down, etc...I try to place my right foot first. It's better than it was - but far from perfect.

I've also got a "night brace" that I can wear at times if it starts hurting too much as well as the therapy exercises.