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.