This will probably be my last entry for this blog as I have pretty much concluded that the gel insoles that I bought were next to useless.
The insoles were certainly cheap, but firstly they have degraded and started to fall apart after only a few ours of walking on them and, secondly, they seemed to offer little in the way of shock absorption.
To be honest I have not worn the doc Martin style shoes that I put them in for a couple of months now and I consider them a complete waste of money.
Whether this is a reflection on gel insoles generally, or simply the products of a specific manufacturer, I do not know. And to be frank I do not intend to find out by buying another pair.
I certainly think that removable insoles are a good idea and there is no doubt that shock absorbing versions do work, but as for the gel alternative – I have grave doubts.
If you want to know more about comfort shoes and shoes that are designed and manufactured with health in mind you should do some good research and come to your own conclusions.
Wednesday 26 August 2009
Wednesday 8 April 2009
Gel Insoles - not so hot!
I have used the shoes with the gel insoles very infrequently to date. However, as I attempted to put them on today one of the insoles fell out revealing that the gel side (that I was instructed should face downwards) has suffered considerable wear and has noticeable signs of abrasion and loss of contour.
This is very disappointing as I cannot have walked more than 5 or 6 miles whilst wearing these shoes and I have worn them for no more than 3 or 4 hours in total.
All told this seems like an unbelievably poor performance and it leaves me wondering if the instructions for fitting, which clearly said “leave the fabric side facing upwards”, were wrong.
As I looked at the insoles it seemed to me that the contoured gel side should face upwards and not downwards, but instructions are there to be followed and that is exactly what I did.
In any event, either the insoles are pretty poor, or the instructions are incorrect. Either way I would not recommend these gel insoles to anyone, even at the £10 to £11 price tag.
In summary – so far a big disappointment
This is very disappointing as I cannot have walked more than 5 or 6 miles whilst wearing these shoes and I have worn them for no more than 3 or 4 hours in total.
All told this seems like an unbelievably poor performance and it leaves me wondering if the instructions for fitting, which clearly said “leave the fabric side facing upwards”, were wrong.
As I looked at the insoles it seemed to me that the contoured gel side should face upwards and not downwards, but instructions are there to be followed and that is exactly what I did.
In any event, either the insoles are pretty poor, or the instructions are incorrect. Either way I would not recommend these gel insoles to anyone, even at the £10 to £11 price tag.
In summary – so far a big disappointment
Sunday 22 March 2009
Gel insoles - first impressions!
I have tried out the gel insoles once for a walk of about 2 miles.
My first impressions are that the ability of these insoles to function is largely determined by the amount of available depth of the shoes into which they are placed.
The soles undoubtedly do provide extra cushioning and the “shin splint” sensation that I had when I first purchased these shoes (boots in actual fact) have now gone. This is clearly a result of the gel insoles.
The insoles also have a slightly sponging feeling which is initially strange, but it is quickly adapted to.
The two “mildly” negative points that I noticed related not so much to the insoles, but rather to their interaction with the boots.
Firstly, these insoles brought the top of the feet tightly against the shoe lace collar which, (given that these were very cheap boots) caused some abrasion irritation.
This illuminates the requirement to have plenty of shoe depth if a padded insole is to be added, or used as a replacement for an existing insole. If the shoes fit become too tight, then the removal of one problem is simply replaced with another.
The second thing that I noticed was that the insoles (no doubt due to the raising of the feet) also seemed to allow a greater level of “foot slip” on the insole. This was something that I quickly got used to, but it was compounded by the abrasion of the feet against the laces of the shoes.
This is certainly an interaction problem (with the shoes) that will vary depending upon the shoes that are used in conjunction with the insoles. The material of the insoles, e.g. gel, is irrelevant to this problem.
All told, I need to wear these shoes and insoles a number of time to draw proper conclusions, however it is clear that the claimed cushioning property of the gel appears to live up to the hype, even if there are some other resulting issues.
I will write further once I have worn the gel insoles a few more times.
My first impressions are that the ability of these insoles to function is largely determined by the amount of available depth of the shoes into which they are placed.
The soles undoubtedly do provide extra cushioning and the “shin splint” sensation that I had when I first purchased these shoes (boots in actual fact) have now gone. This is clearly a result of the gel insoles.
The insoles also have a slightly sponging feeling which is initially strange, but it is quickly adapted to.
The two “mildly” negative points that I noticed related not so much to the insoles, but rather to their interaction with the boots.
Firstly, these insoles brought the top of the feet tightly against the shoe lace collar which, (given that these were very cheap boots) caused some abrasion irritation.
This illuminates the requirement to have plenty of shoe depth if a padded insole is to be added, or used as a replacement for an existing insole. If the shoes fit become too tight, then the removal of one problem is simply replaced with another.
The second thing that I noticed was that the insoles (no doubt due to the raising of the feet) also seemed to allow a greater level of “foot slip” on the insole. This was something that I quickly got used to, but it was compounded by the abrasion of the feet against the laces of the shoes.
This is certainly an interaction problem (with the shoes) that will vary depending upon the shoes that are used in conjunction with the insoles. The material of the insoles, e.g. gel, is irrelevant to this problem.
All told, I need to wear these shoes and insoles a number of time to draw proper conclusions, however it is clear that the claimed cushioning property of the gel appears to live up to the hype, even if there are some other resulting issues.
I will write further once I have worn the gel insoles a few more times.
Monday 16 March 2009
Gel insole delivery
I received the gel insoles on Saturday, which I consider to be pretty good from a service and delivery point of view. Delivery was in a jiffy style envelope and by standard mail. 
I attach a couple of photos of the gel insoles as they were packaged and also once unpacked.
The instructions are basic, but then again there is very little to do.
The insoles cover a range of sizes and there are cut lines around the toe area in the event of trimming being required. This was not necessary in the case of the boots in which I have placed the product. However, anyone with a shoe size at the bottom of the fit-range scale may need to do some trimming before slipping the insoles into their respective shoes.
Having not yet walked in the shoes with the insoles in place I have no immediate user feedback to offer, but the insoles do have a cool feel and the gel has a sponge like touch quality.
The packaging describes them as “Air gel comfort” and describes them as being made from a revolutionary lightweight polymer that provides shock absorption, cushioning and comfort. It also tells me that they are extremely durable and that they are guaranteed not to leak or puncture.
The insoles have a 30 day money guarantee in the event of a fault or dissatisfaction of any kind. They are hand washable and have a gel surface (bottom) plus a fabric top surface (for contact with the foot).
All that remains for me to do is to try them out. I will need to take a walk in them for a couple of miles or more - which I will do in the very near future.
I attach a couple of photos of the gel insoles as they were packaged and also once unpacked.
The instructions are basic, but then again there is very little to do.
The insoles cover a range of sizes and there are cut lines around the toe area in the event of trimming being required. This was not necessary in the case of the boots in which I have placed the product. However, anyone with a shoe size at the bottom of the fit-range scale may need to do some trimming before slipping the insoles into their respective shoes.
Having not yet walked in the shoes with the insoles in place I have no immediate user feedback to offer, but the insoles do have a cool feel and the gel has a sponge like touch quality.
The packaging describes them as “Air gel comfort” and describes them as being made from a revolutionary lightweight polymer that provides shock absorption, cushioning and comfort. It also tells me that they are extremely durable and that they are guaranteed not to leak or puncture.
The insoles have a 30 day money guarantee in the event of a fault or dissatisfaction of any kind. They are hand washable and have a gel surface (bottom) plus a fabric top surface (for contact with the foot).
All that remains for me to do is to try them out. I will need to take a walk in them for a couple of miles or more - which I will do in the very near future.
Thursday 12 March 2009
Gel shoe insoles
My motivation for ordering some gel insoles has as much to do with curiosity as it does with practicality.
I do have some “walking style” boots that seemingly have no insole padding and which make walking more than ½ mile a major exercise in discomfort. So that is my “claimed” reason for buying these products.
The insoles that I selected are full insoles and they are sold in two sizes. One for men and the other for women!!! You apparently cut them down to size when they arrive. That should prove interesting.
The insoles that I have chosen have no direct corrective or medical purpose, but they are intended to reduce shock and impact during walking. In other words they are for comfort only. The gel construction means that they should also have a “cool” property making them comfortable and soothing and not hot and uncomfortable. That remains to be seen - or felt.
The price for these orthotic shoe insoles was a massive £11 including delivery, so my expectations are not exactly high. However, many cheap products are good, so I will suspend my reluctance to believe the product’s claims until I have tried them out.
It should be pointed out that you do need to have sufficient room, i.e. depth, within a shoe in order to accommodate these orthotic insoles, so they will not go into tight fitting shoes unless an existing insole can be removed.
From an orthopedic perspective, what these orthotics are suppose to do is help all aspects of the body by removing the impact stress that runs through the bones of the legs and then into the spine during walking.
For those with back problems this kind of insole can have positive effects and for those with fallen arches or pronation, an orthotic insert can correct foot and leg alignment and making walking much easier.
Once I have got these insoles and been able to run them in and get some idea of how good (or otherwise) they are I will come back with some feedback on their performance.
I do have some “walking style” boots that seemingly have no insole padding and which make walking more than ½ mile a major exercise in discomfort. So that is my “claimed” reason for buying these products.
The insoles that I selected are full insoles and they are sold in two sizes. One for men and the other for women!!! You apparently cut them down to size when they arrive. That should prove interesting.
The insoles that I have chosen have no direct corrective or medical purpose, but they are intended to reduce shock and impact during walking. In other words they are for comfort only. The gel construction means that they should also have a “cool” property making them comfortable and soothing and not hot and uncomfortable. That remains to be seen - or felt.
The price for these orthotic shoe insoles was a massive £11 including delivery, so my expectations are not exactly high. However, many cheap products are good, so I will suspend my reluctance to believe the product’s claims until I have tried them out.
It should be pointed out that you do need to have sufficient room, i.e. depth, within a shoe in order to accommodate these orthotic insoles, so they will not go into tight fitting shoes unless an existing insole can be removed.
From an orthopedic perspective, what these orthotics are suppose to do is help all aspects of the body by removing the impact stress that runs through the bones of the legs and then into the spine during walking.
For those with back problems this kind of insole can have positive effects and for those with fallen arches or pronation, an orthotic insert can correct foot and leg alignment and making walking much easier.
Once I have got these insoles and been able to run them in and get some idea of how good (or otherwise) they are I will come back with some feedback on their performance.
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