» Practical Guide to OTC Shoe Inserts

After reading countless articles that recommend people purchase inserts, and seeing numerous runners who were sold inserts for no good reason, I have decided to put together a guide to inserts. Inserts do have a purpose and they do work well for some people. However, the majority of runners do not need them if they are fit in the proper shoe.

It is always better to avoid putting a foreign object in your shoe, if possible. But if you must, there are a two basic types of inserts you can buy for your shoes, stability and cushion. Both types serve a unique purpose and if you are one of the lucky few who needs them, you will want to make sure you are sold the correct type.

Stability Inserts:

Stability inserts are made with varying degrees of stability/rigidity. Their purpose is to provide additional support to a shoe in order to keep your foot in a more neutral position during running. The most common brand is Superfeet.

You would be a good candidate for this type of insert if:
1) You are a severe over-pronator AND have a flexible arch*.
2) You are a person who needs stability in a shoe and wants to run in a lighter/race shoe that has no stability in it.
3) You have high arches and are experiencing arch soreness. If the shoe you are wearing does not have enough of an internal arch to fill yours in, stability inserts can be used to provide some internal arch to the shoe.

If you are currently in a stability shoe, one indicator that you MAY need to add a stability insert is that you are still experiencing knee, ankle, or shin pain along the medial side (inside) of your leg. The general problem with stability shoes is that they provide support in the vertical, “Y,” axis. Pronation occurs in all three axis’. A stability insert with a deeper heel cup will help cradle the heel and prevent the heel from sliding outward and the arch/ankle from collapsing over the platform of the shoe.

Cushion Inserts:

Also known as gel inserts, cushion inserts are soft and squishy. The nice thing about cushion inserts is that they can be added to any shoe without affecting the function of the shoe. Cushion inserts are generally used to provide a softer feel in the shoe and provide an extra layer between you and the ground. A popular brand is Spenco.

You may want to consider this type of insert if:
1) You are experiencing shin/knee/ankle pain along the lateral side (outside) of your leg.
2) You wear a lightweight shoe but would prefer not to “feel the road” as much as you currently do.
3) You want a softer more plush feel in your shoe.

As you can see, inserts do serve a purpose when used properly. If you are running, problem-free, in a pair of shoes then there is no need to mess around with inserts. If you ARE having problems and know you are in the right shoe then you may want to try out an insert. If at all possible, consult a professional (someone properly trained to diagnose running injuries and knows how inserts work) about what insert would work best for your problem. There is no need to chase a solution to a problem, and spend more money than necessary, if you can have someone easily tell you what you need.

*This has nothing to do with arch height. Arch flexibility is determined by measuring how much the bones in your medial arch move. The only place I know of to have this accurately measured is the San Diego Running Institute. (http://www.sdri.net)

Written by Paul Jesse and Jay Pedersen