Superfeet

[kelownagirl]

I took a look at their website but I still can't figure out which ones are for over pronating and which ones are for underpronating. The colour choices tell you more about the kind fo shoes you wear them with than the specific foot problem you are trying to correct. Or am I missing something here? Thanks!

[KnottedYet]

They are neutral footbeds, which means they don't fix either over-pronation or over-supination. If you pretend they are footprints left in mud, you can imagine the differences. Pretend you are putting your foot into a pre-made footprint made by someone with idealized feet.

Green: a footprint left in deep mud, deep heel cup and prominent arch "bump". Good for unstable feet (like an over pronator) or feet that get tired easily.

Blue: a footprint left in shallower mud. A shallower heelcup and less beefy arch. Good for folks who feel the green is too aggressive.

Berry and Orange: kind of between the blue and green, with the addition of a metatarsal button. Nice for "hot foot" or folks with a dropped met head/collapsed metatarsal arch. Or folks who put a lot of pressure on the balls of their feet (eg: cyclists)

Black and Gray: similar to the blue, but good for lower volume shoes like bike shoes or cowboy boots and some high-heeled shoes. (gray has a build that works well in high heels)

[emily_in_nc]

When buying new trail-running shoes recently (Vasque Blur), the fitter at REI fit me in green Superfeet, and I love them! I adjusted to them instantly, though I did take a couple trail walks in them before I ran in them, but even my first run was pain-free. I needed as much volume in the shoes as possible as I have low-volume and narrow feet, and to get a long enough length in the shoe to avoid black toenail (which I've had before - no fun), I had to go up to a size that is a little loose on me overall.

One thing I learned from this fitter that I'd never known before -- she said that you really need to be fitted for Superfeet or similar inserts rather than simply buying the ones for your shoe size, especially if you are close to being between sizes. She had me try two different sizes, and based on where the arch hit my foot, I actually ended up preferring the larger size, which was for a women's size 8-10 or some such, and my shoes are only a 7.5 (and I normally wear 7's in street shoes). I just cut the toe portion of the insert down to size to fit in the shoe before putting them in. So, I found that interesting and helpful, as I've used inserts before that I felt were hitting my arch too far back (close to my heel), and now I know why!

Emily

[Red Rock]

So if I am understanding this correctly...

I work in the hospital with a lot of standing, I already live/love my Dansko shoes, would it be worth me investing in a pair of these? Would it still be helpful for me feet and legs?

Red Rock

[emily_in_nc]

So if I am understanding this correctly...

I work in the hospital with a lot of standing, I already live/love my Dansko shoes, would it be worth me investing in a pair of these? Would it still be helpful for me feet and legs?

Red Rock

Good question. I am no expert at all (and have not even been to the Superfeet site to read up), but my understanding was that Superfeet were more geared for athletics -- correcting "issues" with footstrike as well as taking up space in shoes for people like me with low-volume feet, and supporting our feet in the proper position. If your Danskos are already comfy and fit well, I don't know that inserts would be necessary, and might throw off the fit. I don't use Superfeet in my "street" shoes.

For lots of standing on the job, you might want to consider the Spenco gel inserts instead. I use those in my hiking boots to combat foot fatigue on long hikes, and they are (for me), da bomb! They provide cushioning, though, not "support" per se.

I am sure Knotted will correct me if I have told you wrong. I'm speaking purely from personal experience/opinion and not from any professional knowledge.

Emily

[KnottedYet]

If you love your Danskos, don't mess with them!

Superfeet are great for any shoe that doesn't match up well to the contours of someone's foot. Danskos are pretty awesome shoes, and I wouldn't try changing anything if you love them.

[RoadBunner]

I wear custom orthotics in my running shoes. The running store sold me two pairs of the green ones before I bit the bullet and got the custom orthotics. Can the green ones be put into road shoes? Should I be wearing some sort of orthotic in the cycling shoe if my pronation is so bad it warrants custom orthotics for running?

[Red Rock]

Thank you Knot! I really appreciate your bit of insight. When I found out about these shoes, I thought "you must be crazy?!" So I tried them and have loved them ever since. The American Podiatric (sp?) Association will love me for the rest of my working life.

My legs and feet have never had any problems.

From a Dansko and bike junkie....

Ellen