The best insoles

chikoo

Hall of Fame
A thank you to @chikoo @Readers @gino and others for info and reviews on the Footprint/Artilage insoles. I like them very much indeed.

Last question pertaining to them: mine came with this extra small package of foam, like in a small half-moon shape, but I couldn't find anywhere what this was for? Is this just a sample of the foam to do that stupid egg test they talk about doing online? Or is there actually some purpose for this, like adding an extra layer to the heel or something if desired? I couldn't figure out the answer.

Probably Xtra support for the heel
 
D

Deleted member 23235

Guest
A thank you to @chikoo @Readers @gino and others for info and reviews on the Footprint/Artilage insoles. I like them very much indeed.

Last question pertaining to them: mine came with this extra small package of foam, like in a small half-moon shape, but I couldn't find anywhere what this was for? Is this just a sample of the foam to do that stupid egg test they talk about doing online? Or is there actually some purpose for this, like adding an extra layer to the heel or something if desired? I couldn't figure out the answer.
yeah, i've been contemplating whether i needed that extra heel support...
anyone try it?
 

Raul_SJ

G.O.A.T.
Please share your minds, what's your favorite insoles for extra cushion.

I have not tried them but I feel that with quality tennis shoes being expensive, often costing $100 or more, it should come with adequate built in support. Or with insertable insoles.
Do any manufacturers provide this? We should not have to spend another $20+ for insoles.
 

nn

Hall of Fame
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kswiss misoul shoes came with quality insoles..one with practice (thicker version) and another match play (lighter version). It was one of the best stock insole IMHO.
 

Ramon

Legend
I have not tried them but I feel that with quality tennis shoes being expensive, often costing $100 or more, it should come with adequate built in support. Or with insertable insoles.
Do any manufacturers provide this? We should not have to spend another $20+ for insoles.

Now that I'm using aftermarket insoles, I kind of see them as a personal preference. Everyone has a unique foot, and no insole is going to please everyone. A lot of pros use custom orthotics, so they would throw away whatever insole comes with the shoe anyway. I agree that tennis shoes are too expensive.

Of course, you can use the same argument for tennis racquets. Most of my friends can't understand why I pay $150-230 for tennis racquets, and they don't even come with strings!
 

BorgCash

Legend
Now that I'm using aftermarket insoles, I kind of see them as a personal preference. Everyone has a unique foot, and no insole is going to please everyone. A lot of pros use custom orthotics, so they would throw away whatever insole comes with the shoe anyway. I agree that tennis shoes are too expensive.

Of course, you can use the same argument for tennis racquets. Most of my friends can't understand why I pay $150-230 for tennis racquets, and they don't even come with strings!

And they can't understand even more why you need more than one racquet, especially if you have more than two.
 

Readers

Professional
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blue is heavy duty (practice) and white for match play

How does the cushion one compare to GR6 or Vomero 10? If you have tried either, of the shoes I have they have the best stock insole, zoom cage 2 is close 3rd.
 

nn

Hall of Fame
How does the cushion one compare to GR6 or Vomero 10? If you have tried either, of the shoes I have they have the best stock insole, zoom cage 2 is close 3rd.

I had two pair of airmax cage & one cage2. None of them hold candle against kswiss insoles. I haven't tried GR6 or Vomero 10 but GR5. I prefer kswiss insoles because they are made with different material (see little dot at the heel, which secure them in the heel).

kswiss insoles were made specifically for that model, so I couldn't use them in other shoes.
 

nn

Hall of Fame
Looking great. How you feel the shoes themselves?
Never tried kswiss myself, is it a current model?
And do they have two insoles in this model only ?

It is old model (discontinued). I wore couple pairs. It was low to ground with good grip and cushion. I mean no shoes came with practice and match play combination.
 

BorgCash

Legend
It is old model (discontinued). I wore couple pairs. It was low to ground with good grip and cushion. I mean no shoes came with practice and match play combination.

I see. So their current models come with one insole
only?
 

Ramon

Legend
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kswiss misoul shoes came with quality insoles..one with practice (thicker version) and another match play (lighter version). It was one of the best stock insole IMHO.

My feet are too narrow for most KSwiss shoes. Maybe they included 2 insoles so that guys like me could wear BOTH at the same time!
 

nn

Hall of Fame
My feet are too narrow for most KSwiss shoes. Maybe they included 2 insoles so that guys like me could wear BOTH at the same time!

You can't put two insoles at the same time (impossible). It comes with a little hole in the shoe around heel area. Insole has little round rubber at the bottom, which you insert into the shoe to secure it.
 

Mac33

Professional
Did a test tonight on my hard kitchen floor.

My favourite two insoles are the Scholl sport insole and the Kiwi boot insole that I posted a link to earlier.

I use two insoles in each shoe every time I play for extra cushioning.

With my well used New Balance cross trainers that I wear for tennis (practice only) - I had the original quite thick NB insole in the shoe with my Scholl Sport insole.

Have been using these two insoles in combo for the last month.

I did numerous jump ups on my kitchen floor to test the cushioning.

On the other foot I used the same NB shoe - but this time I used the 16 dollar Kiwi Boot insole in combo with the Scholl Sport insole.

The difference in impact feel was big! The Kiwi Boot insole and the Scholl Sport together were far superior.

These Kiwi Boot insoles for pure cushioning are peerless.

I use the Kiwi Boot insole on the bottom with the Scholl Sport on top.

The shoe feels a bit more stable with the stiffer Scholl sport on top.

Most shoes there's not that much difference in cushioning.

Using two insoles helps the most,followed by the quality of the insoles.

Old shoes - the sole compacts after time and this can greatly reduce its cushioning.
 

chikoo

Hall of Fame
Did a test tonight on my hard kitchen floor.

My favourite two insoles are the Scholl sport insole and the Kiwi boot insole that I posted a link to earlier.

I use two insoles in each shoe every time I play for extra cushioning.

With my well used New Balance cross trainers that I wear for tennis (practice only) - I had the original quite thick NB insole in the shoe with my Scholl Sport insole.

Have been using these two insoles in combo for the last month.

I did numerous jump ups on my kitchen floor to test the cushioning.

On the other foot I used the same NB shoe - but this time I used the 16 dollar Kiwi Boot insole in combo with the Scholl Sport insole.

The difference in impact feel was big! The Kiwi Boot insole and the Scholl Sport together were far superior.

These Kiwi Boot insoles for pure cushioning are peerless.

I use the Kiwi Boot insole on the bottom with the Scholl Sport on top.

The shoe feels a bit more stable with the stiffer Scholl sport on top.

Most shoes there's not that much difference in cushioning.

Using two insoles helps the most,followed by the quality of the insoles.

Old shoes - the sole compacts after time and this can greatly reduce its cushioning.

Whoa... do you wear an oversized shoe or are your feet thin?
 

Mac33

Professional
Nah,I actually have triple E width feet.

Just that my legs and knees hurt after running around a hard court for a few hours when I only use one insole.

When shoes are new they are more sturdy and therefore have more lateral resistance to cope with the extra elevation of using two insoles.

Two insoles in each shoe are a must for me on hard courts.

I use my Mitre walking shoes with two insoles in each shoe when I play competition only.

My legs and joints should be good into old age.
 

chikoo

Hall of Fame
Nah,I actually have triple E width feet.

Just that my legs and knees hurt after running around a hard court for a few hours when I only use one insole.

When shoes are new they are more sturdy and therefore have more lateral resistance to cope with the extra elevation of using two insoles.

Two insoles in each shoe are a must for me on hard courts.

I use my Mitre walking shoes with two insoles in each shoe when I play competition only.

My legs and joints should be good into old age.

After expressing a lot of skepticism I finally ordered the Arti-Lage insoles and put them in my shoes. Ever since that day, my feet and especially my knees say thanks to Arti-Lage and Gino who was adamant that they are the best. I have stopped popping pain medications!
 

Ramon

Legend
If you want to reduce inner space you can put ordinary insole above that one comes with shoes.

I already do that with most shoes. On some shoes, like the GR6, I can only use one insole because the heel support sucks as it is and if I do anything to make it worse, the shoe will probably come off.
 

Ramon

Legend
After expressing a lot of skepticism I finally ordered the Arti-Lage insoles and put them in my shoes. Ever since that day, my feet and especially my knees say thanks to Arti-Lage and Gino who was adamant that they are the best. I have stopped popping pain medications!

I wanted order them, either from Arti-lage or Footprint. Seems none of them have normal sizes in stock. You either have to be huge or tiny to get one in your size. There's either too much demand for them to keep up or they are leaving the market. Hope it's not the latter.
 

chikoo

Hall of Fame
I wanted order them, either from Arti-lage or Footprint. Seems none of them have normal sizes in stock. You either have to be huge or tiny to get one in your size. There's either too much demand for them to keep up or they are leaving the market. Hope it's not the latter.

too much demand, not enough supply, esp at the price point?
 

nn

Hall of Fame
I wanted order them, either from Arti-lage or Footprint. Seems none of them have normal sizes in stock. You either have to be huge or tiny to get one in your size. There's either too much demand for them to keep up or they are leaving the market. Hope it's not the latter.

I had the same impression because their website isn't well developed (all over the place). I don't doubt the insole but without trying at local shop I won't buy anymore (past experience)
 

Readers

Professional
I wanted order them, either from Arti-lage or Footprint. Seems none of them have normal sizes in stock. You either have to be huge or tiny to get one in your size. There's either too much demand for them to keep up or they are leaving the market. Hope it's not the latter.

I had the same impression because their website isn't well developed (all over the place). I don't doubt the insole but without trying at local shop I won't buy anymore (past experience)



Skate warehouse has them, as it's under the same company as TW, you don't need to worry about buying them from there.
 

Chotobaka

Hall of Fame
I had the same impression because their website isn't well developed (all over the place). I don't doubt the insole but without trying at local shop I won't buy anymore (past experience)
Skate warehouse has them, as it's under the same company as TW, you don't need to worry about buying them from there.

I ordered my Arti-Lage from Amazon. Never any issues at all returning items I don't care for.
 

nn

Hall of Fame
I ordered my Arti-Lage from Amazon. Never any issues at all returning items I don't care for.

If you are prime member or product is defective or wrong item sent. Otherwise they charge two way shipping cost and restocking (certain item).

Amazon is worst in price matching and many things but that's is off topic.

Skate warehouse has them, as it's under the same company as TW, you don't need to worry about buying them from there.

I trust them.
 
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Chotobaka

Hall of Fame
Amazon has very very limited selection.

The lack of selection overall is a supplier issue, not a vendor issue. I specifically wanted Arti-Lage rather than the sub-brand. I have been looking for a while and actually had more choices for the size 10 I was looking for at Amazon than elsewhere. Mine shipped immediately. Can't beat that with a stick.
 
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Chotobaka

Hall of Fame
If you are prime member or product is defective or wrong item sent. Otherwise they charge two way shipping cost and restocking (certain item).

Amazon is worst in price matching and many things but that's is off topic.



I trust them.


I can see you are very tight. I'll bet you squeak when you walk. So I can see your dilemma:D. Yes, I am a Prime member. I just tried the Sof Sole Thin, did not like it and returned it on their dime. Easy peasy.
 
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Chotobaka

Hall of Fame
$(KGrHqZ,!lgE2ELmWwy,BNwvd+(E3g~~0_35.JPG


kswiss misoul shoes came with quality insoles..one with practice (thicker version) and another match play (lighter version). It was one of the best stock insole IMHO.

That was a brilliant idea and a high quality product. Completely forgot about MiSoul. KSWISS makes some great stuff.
 

nn

Hall of Fame
I can see you are very tight. I'll bet you squeak when you walk. So I can see your dilemma:D. Yes, I am a Prime member. I just tried the Sof Sole Thin, did not like it and returned it on their dime. Easy peasy.

Softsole is sold at many stores (sports authority close now) to try out. You can return for free if you bought it from amazon but not third party. Otherwise you spend $10-$15 just to try out :eek:. Costco has best return policy (one of the best) & wal-mart 90 days (off topic). So I don't give anybody any free dime :cool:
 

Readers

Professional
The lack of selection overall is a supplier issue, not a vendor issue. I specifically wanted Arti-Lage rather than the sub-brand. I have been looking for a while and actually had more choices for the size 10 I was looking for at Amazon than elsewhere. Mine shipped immediately. Can't beat that with a stick.


Back order is supplier issue, lack of selection is on vendor almost 100%, but whatever works for you, just know that they are all made by the same company in Southern China, I even posted information on that company before.
 

Ramon

Legend
Amazon has very very limited selection.

They do, but at least they had one in my size. I just got my Arti-lage orthotic insoles yesterday. I haven't tried them on court yet, but right now I have mixed feelings. The cushioning feels great, but the way they designed the arch support could use some work. Maybe the Footprint Gamechangers would have been better in that regard, but it's so hard to find in a normal size.
 

Chotobaka

Hall of Fame
They do, but at least they had one in my size. I just got my Arti-lage orthotic insoles yesterday. I haven't tried them on court yet, but right now I have mixed feelings. The cushioning feels great, but the way they designed the arch support could use some work. Maybe the Footprint Gamechangers would have been better in that regard, but it's so hard to find in a normal size.

Same here regarding the pronounced arch support. I have worn mine for a week in various court conditions and the cushioning is good, but the arch support is more than I need and not as adaptive as it is made out to be. Despite their likewise overdone arch support, New Balance Air Flows have noticeably better cushioning and impact absorption, despite the bowling ball demonstrations that illustrate Artilage material's supposed superiority.

I have the Kingfoam Flat 5mm version arriving today or tomorrow and will give them a shot. I may or may not try the 7mm version after that, depending on how it goes with these.

If you need, or like, ample arch support the Artilage insoles are pretty good, but not spectacular. In my experience, not better than the SofSole Athlete in any way. I actually prefer < $20 Sof Sole Athlete insoles to the $33 Artlage insoles, irrespective of price. After going round and round with various insoles it turns out that my primary shoes, KSWISS Big Shot Lite's. feel the most comfortable with the stock insoles. Good cushioning plus better fit and alignment. These are similar in material, shape and thickness to the ones in my supremely comfortable Altra Olympus running shoes.

When going with aftermarket insoles, I think I will just stick with Sof Sole products (or something similar) and up-size my shoes by a half size to create the extra space needed to accommodate a thicker insole. And, continue to buy shoes that are highly cushioned in the first place.

EDIT: Just received the flat Kingfoam Gold insoles (< $20). These are very different in look and feel than the Atrilage Custom Orthotic Insoles. The Kingfoam's are indeed flat and made from a single piece of what I assume is the Artilage material rather than the multi-layer of what looks like two different types of foam on The Atrtilage Custom insoles. When bent, they hold their shape for a few moments so there appears to be some type of memory effect, as least when bent laterally. These are unstructured, and seem to simply be slabs of Artilage foam with a thin top cover. Let's see how it goes with no added arch support.
 
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When going with aftermarket insoles, I think I will just stick with Sof Sole products (or something similar) and up-size my shoes by a half size to create the extra space needed to accommodate a thicker insole. And, continue to buy shoes that are highly cushioned in the first place.

.

thanks for saving my money
 

Kingair001

Rookie
EDIT: Just received the flat Kingfoam Gold insoles (< $20). These are very different in look and feel than the Atrilage Custom Orthotic Insoles. The Kingfoam's are indeed flat and made from a single piece of what I assume is the Artilage material rather than the multi-layer of what looks like two different types of foam on The Atrtilage Custom insoles. When bent, they hold their shape for a few moments so there appears to be some type of memory effect, as least when bent laterally. These are unstructured, and seem to simply be slabs of Artilage foam with a thin top cover. Let's see how it goes with no added arch support.
Keep us posted !
 

Ramon

Legend
I've had these Arti-lage Orthotic insoles now for about a week. I wore them to work a few times to break them in. I haven't played tennis in them, but I did run around the block on pavement a couple times. So here's my take on them.

They feel soft and plush. They remind me of those rubbery wrestling mats you put over the gym floor. No energy return here. It's more like energy dissipation. I can see why balls don't bounce on it. If you like a bouncy cushion, look somewhere else. They are made for impact protection, and even though I never put them through a real stress test (like wearing poorly cushioned shoes in a hard court tennis match, or on a basketball court), I didn't feel much impact at all when I ran for short distances, and I can believe those skateboarders who say these things absorb impact.

I think the arch support is poorly designed. It's like someone took a flat insole and stuffed toilet paper in the arch area. It's nothing like those smooth contoured orthotic insoles that feel like they were custom made for my feet. They nudge my feet in places where they should be flat and they leave empty space under my feet in other places. They did get better as I wore them, but they will never be as good as other insoles in this category.

They weigh 2.38 oz each. That's not bad for an aftermarket insole, but it's about 0.5-0.7 oz more than Superfeet insoles. They are also very high volume, higher than Superfeet Greens. If you have tight shoes, you may need to size up.

I'm keeping them in my closet just in case I have a need for them later, but I'm not going to wear them for tennis. The Superfeet Flexmax that I'm wearing now fits me like a glove in my Barricade 2015 Boosts. They are also lighter and take up less volume, and since my shoes have Boost I don't need more impact protection. The Footprint Gamechanger insoles would have probably worked better for me, but they didn't have my size.
 

chikoo

Hall of Fame
I've had these Arti-lage Orthotic insoles now for about a week. I wore them to work a few times to break them in. I haven't played tennis in them, but I did run around the block on pavement a couple times. So here's my take on them.

They feel soft and plush. They remind me of those rubbery wrestling mats you put over the gym floor. No energy return here. It's more like energy dissipation. I can see why balls don't bounce on it. If you like a bouncy cushion, look somewhere else. They are made for impact protection, and even though I never put them through a real stress test (like wearing poorly cushioned shoes in a hard court tennis match, or on a basketball court), I didn't feel much impact at all when I ran for short distances, and I can believe those skateboarders who say these things absorb impact.

I think the arch support is poorly designed. It's like someone took a flat insole and stuffed toilet paper in the arch area. It's nothing like those smooth contoured orthotic insoles that feel like they were custom made for my feet. They nudge my feet in places where they should be flat and they leave empty space under my feet in other places. They did get better as I wore them, but they will never be as good as other insoles in this category.

They weigh 2.38 oz each. That's not bad for an aftermarket insole, but it's about 0.5-0.7 oz more than Superfeet insoles. They are also very high volume, higher than Superfeet Greens. If you have tight shoes, you may need to size up.

I'm keeping them in my closet just in case I have a need for them later, but I'm not going to wear them for tennis. The Superfeet Flexmax that I'm wearing now fits me like a glove in my Barricade 2015 Boosts. They are also lighter and take up less volume, and since my shoes have Boost I don't need more impact protection. The Footprint Gamechanger insoles would have probably worked better for me, but they didn't have my size.

Awesome write up. But your closing left me scratching my head. Boost is for energy return. Artilage is for energy dissipation. 2 different uses. Boost is not great for impact protection by the very nature of its intrinsic properties.
 

Ramon

Legend
Awesome write up. But your closing left me scratching my head. Boost is for energy return. Artilage is for energy dissipation. 2 different uses. Boost is not great for impact protection by the very nature of its intrinsic properties.
I think you'll get a lot of disagreement on Boost not being great for impact protection. Energy return and impact protection are not mutually exclusive. I used the wear Barricade 7, which has nearly the same heel shape as the Barricade 2015 Boost. The only real difference is that one has Adiprene and the other has Boost. I had to stop wearing the B7 because of my sensitive knees, but I have yet to feel knee pain with the B2015 Boost. Yonex tennis shoes also get great reviews for their cushioning, and Powercushion has energy return also.

If you want to hear other testimonials just get on Youtube and search for reviews of Boost running shoes and basketball shoes. Basketball shoe reviewers who used to be the most loyal Nike supporters are now saying things like "Boost is Life" and "Boost is Everything". They absolutely love shoes with full length Boost, and they hated Adidas not too long ago.
 
I think you'll get a lot of disagreement on Boost not being great for impact protection. Energy return and impact protection are not mutually exclusive. I used the wear Barricade 7, which has nearly the same heel shape as the Barricade 2015 Boost. The only real difference is that one has Adiprene and the other has Boost. I had to stop wearing the B7 because of my sensitive knees, but I have yet to feel knee pain with the B2015 Boost. Yonex tennis shoes also get great reviews for their cushioning, and Powercushion has energy return also.

If you want to hear other testimonials just get on Youtube and search for reviews of Boost running shoes and basketball shoes. Basketball shoe reviewers who used to be the most loyal Nike supporters are now saying things like "Boost is Life" and "Boost is Everything". They absolutely love shoes with full length Boost, and they hated Adidas not too long ago.

you seriously convince me to take another look at adidas (boost) because after using barricade 6, I decided never to go back. My main reason was cushioning. Nike is soft & durable enough for me.

barricade is tank & I don't need very durable shoes (not hard on shoes at all).
 

chikoo

Hall of Fame
I think you'll get a lot of disagreement on Boost not being great for impact protection. Energy return and impact protection are not mutually exclusive. I used the wear Barricade 7, which has nearly the same heel shape as the Barricade 2015 Boost. The only real difference is that one has Adiprene and the other has Boost. I had to stop wearing the B7 because of my sensitive knees, but I have yet to feel knee pain with the B2015 Boost. Yonex tennis shoes also get great reviews for their cushioning, and Powercushion has energy return also.

If you want to hear other testimonials just get on Youtube and search for reviews of Boost running shoes and basketball shoes. Basketball shoe reviewers who used to be the most loyal Nike supporters are now saying things like "Boost is Life" and "Boost is Everything". They absolutely love shoes with full length Boost, and they hated Adidas not too long ago.

You may very well be right. Knowing car suspensions, this "boost" could have been tuned to change the frequency of energy return to be comfortable.
 

Chotobaka

Hall of Fame
Same here regarding the pronounced arch support. I have worn mine for a week in various court conditions and the cushioning is good, but the arch support is more than I need and not as adaptive as it is made out to be. Despite their likewise overdone arch support, New Balance Air Flows have noticeably better cushioning and impact absorption, despite the bowling ball demonstrations that illustrate Artilage material's supposed superiority.

I have the Kingfoam Flat 5mm version arriving today or tomorrow and will give them a shot. I may or may not try the 7mm version after that, depending on how it goes with these.

If you need, or like, ample arch support the Artilage insoles are pretty good, but not spectacular. In my experience, not better than the SofSole Athlete in any way. I actually prefer < $20 Sof Sole Athlete insoles to the $33 Artlage insoles, irrespective of price. After going round and round with various insoles it turns out that my primary shoes, KSWISS Big Shot Lite's. feel the most comfortable with the stock insoles. Good cushioning plus better fit and alignment. These are similar in material, shape and thickness to the ones in my supremely comfortable Altra Olympus running shoes.

When going with aftermarket insoles, I think I will just stick with Sof Sole products (or something similar) and up-size my shoes by a half size to create the extra space needed to accommodate a thicker insole. And, continue to buy shoes that are highly cushioned in the first place.

EDIT: Just received the flat Kingfoam Gold insoles (< $20). These are very different in look and feel than the Atrilage Custom Orthotic Insoles. The Kingfoam's are indeed flat and made from a single piece of what I assume is the Artilage material rather than the multi-layer of what looks like two different types of foam on The Atrtilage Custom insoles. When bent, they hold their shape for a few moments so there appears to be some type of memory effect, as least when bent laterally. These are unstructured, and seem to simply be slabs of Artilage foam with a thin top cover. Let's see how it goes with no added arch support.

OK, after spending ample time on the court in different shoes and under different conditions wearing KingFoam Gold Insoles here is my take on them. First, there is pretty decent cushioning and impact absorption/dispersion with these flat soles when just walking around. They are pretty minimalist at 5mm thickness running all the way from the toe to the heel. They are relatively low volume inside the shoe -- low volume enough that the 7mm thick version might be worth a try if this design floats your boat. I could see putting these inside your Etnies or DC shoes, but they absolutely do not work for me on the tennis court.

There is no arch support whatsoever nor is there any support anywhere else. The insoles did conform to my foot somewhat during wear, but not to the extent that there is support or alignment benefit.

The lack of a heel cup or buildup at the heel created two problems for me. First, heel fit became noticeably sloppy in shoes that had previously had a nice snug fit. No alternative lacing methods were effective as a workaround. Next, 5mm at the heel did not provide neartly enough cushioning in this critical spot. On days when I am on my feet and active for 6-8 hours on court, cushioning on the bottom of my feet (including my heels) is very important -- much more important than when I am training and playing. If you are a barefoot runner and want a minimalist feel, these may be just fine for you. I will stick with more conventional insoles (Super Feet for support, Sol Sole and NB for cushioning) and choose my shoe sizes accordingly.

Now, regarding the Arti-Lage Custom Orthotic Insoles I reported on previously, the center layer of foam is falling off the insoles on the sides. Not what should happen with a $33.00 product.

Neither design or manufacture quality on either of these are acceptable to me. There is really very little going into the design and manufacturing of both insoles. After spending some more time reading the packages, I also realized that the product claims and explanation of how the products work are very thin. Basic unsupported generic private label stuff typical of OEM products. Bottom line, these are actually inferior to other well established and more mainstream products in my opinion. I was very excited going into this, but have been left disappointed with both products.

For those who want to try the Footprint insoles, at Skate Warehouse (TW's sister company) you can get 20% off with the code EARLY. Even with the discount they sent them via Golden State Overnight for FREE. Exemplary service, just like TW.
 
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Kingair001

Rookie
OK, after spending ample time on the court in different shoes and under different conditions wearing KingFoam Gold Insoles here is my take on them. First, there is pretty decent cushioning and impact absorption/dispersion with these flat soles when just walking around. They are pretty minimalist at 5mm thickness running all the way from the toe to the heel. They are relatively low volume inside the shoe -- low volume enough that the 7mm thick version might be worth a try if this design floats your boat. I could see putting these inside your Etnies or DC shoes, but they absolutely do not work for me on the tennis court.

There is no arch support whatsoever nor is there any support anywhere else. The insoles did conform to my foot somewhat during wear, but not to the extent that there is support or alignment benefit.

The lack of a heel cup or buildup at the heel created two problems for me. First, heel fit became noticeably sloppy in shoes that had previously had a nice snug fit. No alternative lacing methods were effective as a workaround. Next, 5mm at the heel did not provide neartly enough cushioning in this critical spot. On days when I am on my feet and active for 6-8 hours on court, cushioning on the bottom of my feet (including my heels) is very important -- much more important than when I am training and playing. If you are a barefoot runner and want a minimalist feel, these may be just fine for you. I will stick with more conventional insoles (Super Feet for support, Sol Sole and NB for cushioning) and choose my shoe sizes accordingly.

Now, regarding the Arti-Lage Custom Orthotic Insoles I reported on previously, the center layer of foam is falling off the insoles on the sides. Not what should happen with a $33.00 product.

Neither design or manufacture quality on either of these are acceptable to me. There is really very little going into the design and manufacturing of both insoles. After spending some more time reading the packages, I also realized that the product claims and explanation of how the products work are very thin. Basic unsupported generic private label stuff typical of OEM products. Bottom line, these are actually inferior to other well established and more mainstream products in my opinion. I was very excited going into this, but have been left disappointed with both products.

For those who want to try the Footprint insoles, at Skate Warehouse (TW's sister company) you can get 20% off with the code EARLY. Even with the discount they sent them via Golden State Overnight for FREE. Exemplary service, just like TW.
Nice review

Thanks !
 
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