Do I need insoles in my shoes?

I've always figured it was for padding. You may not notice a difference in comfort right away, but after 50 miles your feet may become sore. Don't know if this is true though….could just be traditional hiking folklore.

Essentially, there are two types of insoles. Comfort ones and supportive ones.

I can't tell you whether you should wear insoles. I know nothing about your feet.

Basically, supportive insoles cradle the heel, support the arch and reduce elongation and movement of the metatarcels.

Do you have any foot problems? Knee problems? Hip, back?

Do you pronate or supinate? Do you have high arches or flat feet?

Determining whether you should wear insoles is best not done on the internet.

In many shoes the insoles cover the seams/construction. Just saying…you don't want to walk on that. Would tear your feet up quickly.

I tend to pull them out in camp. On random days during a trip I will hike without them. It is nice to change things up. I have had some running shoes that were more comfy without insoles, they didn't seem to wear out faster than normal. I think for a running shoe the EVA padding or the outsole tends to blow out faster. But shoes that i didn't want to wear a insol in tended to not fit well usually too narrow or low volume. If I was wearing some 200 dollar nice leather boots i would want my insole in to make them last, but for running shoes I would do whats most comfy.

I wear arch support soles in all my shoes because my arches get sore after hours of standing or walking due to the lack of real arch support in most shoes that I have found that my feet need.

Heh, I didn't get that you were talking about walking in shoes without any insoles at all. Ooops.

> supportive insoles … support the arch and reduce elongation and movement of the metatarcels.

However, both of these recent innovations can be (and usually are) extremely destructive of the bones and tendons inside your feet. One of the first things good experienced sports doctors and coaches do with athletes who are having foot problems is to get rid of their shoes and especially arch supports.

Man has live for hundreds of thousands of years without shoes. Just because the Nike marketing department (and senior management) thought these things up as ways to fool the public does not mean they are of any benefit to the wearer whatsoever.

> Do you have any foot problems? Knee problems? Hip, back?
Then get rid of your shoes for a few months – or at least get some larger shoes withOUT any of these features. Most of these problems are caused by your footwear fighting or restricting the natural movement of your bones and tendons.

Cheers

Insoles, arch support, natural evolution of the human foot…..It seems Vibram is dealing with this with their Fivefingers shoes:

http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/products_kso_trek_m.cfm

I've been wanting to try them. Gimmick or innovation? I dunno, but trying them may be the only way to find out!

Thanks all for the replies! Jack, I wasn't really asking about insoles for me, particularly, but whether or not removing them and then backpacking with the shoe would hurt the shoe in any way. But I appreciate that you took the time to reply!

Travis, I'd really like to like the Five Fingers, I certainly like the concept, but they just don't fit my toes well. I've bought two pair (different sizes) trying to get them to fit, but my little toes are short and curly (for lack of a better word) and they just don't work in the Five Fingers, which I think are made more for straighter toes. So if you take a size 40 in the KSO and want to try them, I'll sell mine cheap! Only worn twice!

My husband wears them to the gym often. He isn't 100% set on them though – that they have both good and bad points. Being able to "feel" is nice he says.

I know of several rather experienced adventurers (Roman Dial, Anton Krupicka) who typically do not use insoles at all. It might wear on your socks a bit, but if it works for you, it works.

I've come to like lighter, more flexible shoes with superfeet. The SF provide a bit of a barrier against rocks with their plastic, but most importantly the arch support help to snug up my heel, which is skinny and often rubs and gets blisters.

Douglas,
Ah, bummer, I take a 42. Appreciate the offer though!

Like Sarbar said but also there was time it did not matter what was under my feet. Now, being older, I use insoles and padding to elevate my foot into a higher and wider part of the boot to give me the width I need for bone spur issues – even with wide boots. The lowest part of most boots is also the narrowest part and also the hardest part, the hard part being the lowest part of the sides, that can do harm to bones. The corner where the sides and bottom join can do serious damage to the outer metatarsals.

This is also true for my running and trail shoes.