Insoles?

[Benicio El Toro]

Skated the kingfoam for a bit and was convinced they were meh. Then I didn't re-up on them with my new shoes and that didn't last long. Won't be shying away from them again any time soon. It makes such a difference if your feet hurt.

 It might've been said before but when replacing your insoles try and make sure the new insoles shape semi resemble the old.

[Eddy Mitchel]

I'll try these FP I guess.Love skating Blazers but I feel that square cush too much...

[JM]

It is documented that there are people that do not want to buy from FP, so I'm just wondering why they don't license it to other shoe companies?  Maybe they're doing just fine.

The stuff really does work so well that, yeah, not using it brings back the pain.

Maybe it's skateboarding's best kept secret, but I'm really fascinated that it's not everywhere.

(Wait, no, that's Roger... "the board your favorite pro would be riding if they could")

[DarkPools]

It's been said before, but Soletech's insoles are solid quality and worth carrying over into other shoes if you have tried any Es, Etnies, Emerica with them:

G6 insoles from most of Emerica's vulcs
Etnies Level 1 (i think?) - the ones in the Michelin cupsoles
Es energy insoles (in accel slim and sophisto i believe)

[JM]

It's been said before, but Soletech's insoles are solid quality and worth carrying over into other shoes if you have tried any Es, Etnies, Emerica with them:

G6 insoles from most of Emerica's vulcs
Etnies Level 1 (i think?) - the ones in the Michelin cupsoles
Es energy insoles (in accel slim and sophisto i believe)

For sure. They are great. Sole tech did do something very right with them.

[rikki]

It's been said before, but Soletech's insoles are solid quality and worth carrying over into other shoes if you have tried any Es, Etnies, Emerica with them:

G6 insoles from most of Emerica's vulcs
Etnies Level 1 (i think?) - the ones in the Michelin cupsoles
Es energy insoles (in accel slim and sophisto i believe)

This is true. I've successfully reused my insoles from my old Joslins. They're solid and supportive.

Mine have the print "sti / stilab.com" on them. I guess the "technology" is called STI Energy Foam.

[Dmng]

Does any of the FP have support on the heel side like superfeet ? I love them for the lateral support which made any pain in my ankle disappear but the front part / foam is not so good for vibration / impacts

I’m also debating cutting an insole and putting the the front part some NB insole and keeping the back part superfeet. Not 100% it’s a great idea and how to do it though

[Slave IV]

Does any of the FP have support on the heel side like superfeet ? I love them for the lateral support which made any pain in my ankle disappear but the front part / foam is not so good for vibration / impacts

I’m also debating cutting an insole and putting the the front part some NB insole and keeping the back part superfeet. Not 100% it’s a great idea and how to do it though

I never tried the Kingfoam Elite but those have an added heel cup, I guess for added support.

[swongolianbbq]

I ripped out the flat ortholite insoles from my Jordan 1s and put some dunk insoles in, feels way more locked in. Tried it with some Superfeet adapt hike footbeds, felt pretty good

My feet were kinda hurting in blazers with just the lil insole airbag on top of the rubber crate, so I put some fastbreak footbeds in there and them boys feel great now

I use SOLE active thin footbeds in most all my non-skate stuff like running shoes and ice climbing boots, snowboard and ski boots and stuff, churchy shoes and the shoes I wear for work. They're super thin and durable. I like the "performance" cork ones a lot but I've had three pairs completely fall apart on me. Currently have zipfit insoles in my ski boots, I think the stock 32 ones in my snowboard boots, and some "patriot" ski footbeds in my cycling shoes

I wanna try some FPs, the ones that are the thickest under the heel, in the blazer mids. And maybe some thinner ones in dunks/aj1s. Maybe z liners in those or just thinner fps.

I don't know what kind to get cause their website sucks and their shit is named like, "kingfoam elite pro sport hi" which I don't even know if that's an actual product but yeah

Might just grip some from an online skate shop labor day sale

Just crushing it, buying FP and buying skate stuff online double whammy ooof


Basically i prefer the feel of foam over airbags and the only two aftermarket footbeds I saw with the fuckin bowling ball thing were FP and Z Liners, the latter being honeycomb gel and 3mm thick up front

Straight up though the fastbreak footbeds in the blazer mids feels better on my feet, I think it's like a polyurethane foam as opposed to eva... I remember ultracush and those orange lunarlon dunk ones feeling kind of firm for me, but it could've been cause the shoes were getting old. I seem to remember liking the popcush. I definitely like these converse ones

Gonna go try and figure out which ones I want... Kinda between fp and remind right now, leaning toward fp sadly

[JM]

I ripped out the flat ortholite insoles from my Jordan 1s and put some dunk insoles in, feels way more locked in. Tried it with some Superfeet adapt hike footbeds, felt pretty good

My feet were kinda hurting in blazers with just the lil insole airbag on top of the rubber crate, so I put some fastbreak footbeds in there and them boys feel great now

I use SOLE active thin footbeds in most all my non-skate stuff like running shoes and ice climbing boots, snowboard and ski boots and stuff, churchy shoes and the shoes I wear for work. They're super thin and durable. I like the "performance" cork ones a lot but I've had three pairs completely fall apart on me. Currently have zipfit insoles in my ski boots, I think the stock 32 ones in my snowboard boots, and some "patriot" ski footbeds in my cycling shoes

I wanna try some FPs, the ones that are the thickest under the heel, in the blazer mids. And maybe some thinner ones in dunks/aj1s. Maybe z liners in those or just thinner fps.

I don't know what kind to get cause their website sucks and their shit is named like, "kingfoam elite pro sport hi" which I don't even know if that's an actual product but yeah

Might just grip some from an online skate shop labor day sale

Just crushing it, buying FP and buying skate stuff online double whammy ooof


Basically i prefer the feel of foam over airbags and the only two aftermarket footbeds I saw with the fuckin bowling ball thing were FP and Z Liners, the latter being honeycomb gel and 3mm thick up front

Straight up though the fastbreak footbeds in the blazer mids feels better on my feet, I think it's like a polyurethane foam as opposed to eva... I remember ultracush and those orange lunarlon dunk ones feeling kind of firm for me, but it could've been cause the shoes were getting old. I seem to remember liking the popcush. I definitely like these converse ones

Gonna go try and figure out which ones I want... Kinda between fp and remind right now, leaning toward fp sadly

Just the basics are best. Kingfoam elite high is the green stuff through and through, and the proven stuff that has been around for a long time. I’d say get that stuff and forget all the extra new tech. (I’m still testing if the action sports gel is as good. I’m just using the KF elite mid and it’s working great. Maybe some sessions were needed to soften it up to feel like my five year old KF elite Highs)

The Kingfoam elite Pro uses the blue stuff that is super soft for walking. I am not a fan of it for skate and they don’t market it as for impact protection (it’s got more air in it feels like. SUPER squishy. Is a nice stress ball, ha) the heel has green stuff but it feels harder and definitely hurts my feet more. Not sure what happened there because the green feels different.

The game changers, fluidX, etc, are not necessary but you could try and report back.

Good luck

[swongolianbbq]

 Thanks!! That was kind of what I was figuring out too. Ended up getting the kingfoam elite hi from tactics with their labor day sale for 22 bucks before shipping

[JM]

Thanks!! That was kind of what I was figuring out too. Ended up getting the kingfoam elite hi from tactics with their labor day sale for 22 bucks before shipping

Hope they’re everything I’ve built them up to be for yah!

The first thing I noticed when I first started using them is that my knees and feet stopped hurting as much during and after sessions.

[swongolianbbq]

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Thanks!! That was kind of what I was figuring out too. Ended up getting the kingfoam elite hi from tactics with their labor day sale for 22 bucks before shipping

[close]

Hope they’re everything I’ve built them up to be for yah!

The first thing I noticed when I first started using them is that my knees and feet stopped hurting as much during and after sessions.

I think they'll be pretty good. Combined with the spitfire 93s my old ass is gonna be juuuust fine

[JM]

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Expand Quote

Thanks!! That was kind of what I was figuring out too. Ended up getting the kingfoam elite hi from tactics with their labor day sale for 22 bucks before shipping

[close]

Hope they’re everything I’ve built them up to be for yah!

The first thing I noticed when I first started using them is that my knees and feet stopped hurting as much during and after sessions.

[close]

I think they'll be pretty good. Combined with the spitfire 93s my old ass is gonna be juuuust fine

Sounds like it, ha.

The x and soft sliders really do make a difference. I tried FF99’s one day just to try them after a few years being on X, and after 30 minutes I had to stop: all my joints/etc. were aching. 

[rikki]

The x and soft sliders really do make a difference. I tried FF99’s one day just to try them after a few years being on X, and after 30 minutes I had to stop: all my joints/etc. were aching.

Exactly what happened to me this past summer. One session back on F4 99's and I was done for good. Back to X's. The F4's weren't even faster. 

[swongolianbbq]

Got the kingfoam insoles, trimmed them perfectly but yeah the heel and mid foot part was sooo wide, like wider than the shoe

Mashed em in there and it works so idk. Fits perfect up front and in the back it just kinda conformed to the inside, and the extra material acts kinda like an arch haha

Gonna try the cheaper gamechangers and see how those fit in a blazer.

The foam is crazy tho it's definitely on some science shit

[Slave IV]

Got the kingfoam insoles, trimmed them perfectly but yeah the heel and mid foot part was sooo wide, like wider than the shoe

Mashed em in there and it works so idk. Fits perfect up front and in the back it just kinda conformed to the inside, and the extra material acts kinda like an arch haha

Gonna try the cheaper gamechangers and see how those fit in a blazer.

The foam is crazy tho it's definitely on some science shit

I use the Kingfoam and Gamechangers without trimming at all. They are a bit wider than stock insoles but it’s fine, they just conform to the sides and that way, the entire bottom and some edges are covered and it works perfectly fine for me that way. In my blazers, I just make sure to shift the insole so it’s centered before I put my foot in and then once my foot is in and laced up, it’s good to go.

[swongolianbbq]

Nice, that's pretty much what I'm doing now. I had to trim a lil bit off the toes but I left everything else how it is

[Bumba]

I'm out of the loop with footprint. Haven't needed new ones for a while but when I'm looking they all look way different. Bulbous front, strange heel cup different looking foam.

I'm used to the ones that had the stitch line that went around the edge. Are the new ones just as good or should I try get hold of the ones I'm used to?

[swongolianbbq]

I think theres two basic ones that don't have all the options, I like those

Kingfoam elite - hi (I think there's a 'pro' version that has goop in the heel, and an 'orthotic' version that has goop under the arch) these are like $30, I got some at tactics on labor day

Gamechangers - medium - comfort

I think these are the cheapest of the gamechangers and the updated version of those ones with stitching on em

No goop or anything crazy

Their lingo is so all over the place, there's so many options and it's easy for someone to recommend them to a friend, friend gets totally different ones and hates them

[moykky]

I've been using the wrong FP insoles (because they resemble the most what was in the NB# -shoes to begin with) all this time... The "flat" ones, without the heel counter. I usually used a bit thicker insole than the stock ones to get maximum protection.

Some time ago I did put these ones with the heel counter in my shoes and they did make a huge difference. I was able to use thinner ones (=more board feel) and because of the heel counter, it did help me with my Haglund's deformation (by moving my heel away from the back of the shoe?) also.

I guess everyone knows this already, but I cannot think of any reason why you would need to use the totally flat instead of the ones with the heel counter...

[Slave IV]

I've been using the wrong FP insoles (because they resemble the most what was in the NB# -shoes to begin with) all this time... The "flat" ones, without the heel counter. I usually used a bit thicker insole than the stock ones to get maximum protection.

Some time ago I did put these ones with the heel counter in my shoes and they did make a huge difference. I was able to use thinner ones (=more board feel) and because of the heel counter, it did help me with my Haglund's deformation (by moving my heel away from the back of the shoe?) also.

I guess everyone knows this already, but I cannot think of any reason why you would need to use the totally flat instead of the ones with the heel counter...

Right off the bat, some people like myself want minimal drop so your feet are as level as possible and from that image, it looks like there is definitely a drop in the second picture where the heel is much higher than the toes. To me, the flat insoles give you the most foot control and board feel. Another thing for me is my shoes fit fine as is so I don't ned additional heel cupping from my insole. All I want is impact protection and some arch support so the standard Gamechangers are the perfect fit for me. Standard Kingfoams (I think those are in the first pic you shared) are also good for me except they don't have the arch support I prefer to have. All that said, I've never tried the other FP insoles with the heel cup so maybe I'm full of shit and would like them more but I doubt it based on what I just explained and my overall preference for footwear.

[rikki]

Heel cup is totally a personal thing. I don't enjoy a high and thick cup as it feels like my heel is being "offset" from the shoe and it screws up with my shoe/boardfeel. I've used the FP Kingfoam Elite Mids and I initially had an issue with the really fat heel cup, but with scissors and patience and some trial and error I got them working pretty well.

The slight cup of e.g. the stock NB Ortholite insole is actually pretty perfect, but I can skate a flat insole no problem, provided the shoe itself has a good fit. The old NB# flat insoles in the 440 v1 were actually really good -- albeit lacking a bit of impact protection, which is a of course a totally different conversation.

Heel cup or not, for me the most important thing is that my foot sits perfectly in the shoe. Not too high, not too much offset from the shoe heel. Good boardfeel results from good shoefeel.

[moykky]

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I've been using the wrong FP insoles (because they resemble the most what was in the NB# -shoes to begin with) all this time... The "flat" ones, without the heel counter. I usually used a bit thicker insole than the stock ones to get maximum protection.

Some time ago I did put these ones with the heel counter in my shoes and they did make a huge difference. I was able to use thinner ones (=more board feel) and because of the heel counter, it did help me with my Haglund's deformation (by moving my heel away from the back of the shoe?) also.

I guess everyone knows this already, but I cannot think of any reason why you would need to use the totally flat instead of the ones with the heel counter...

[close]

Right off the bat, some people like myself want minimal drop so your feet are as level as possible and from that image, it looks like there is definitely a drop in the second picture where the heel is much higher than the toes. To me, the flat insoles give you the most foot control and board feel. Another thing for me is my shoes fit fine as is so I don't ned additional heel cupping from my insole. All I want is impact protection and some arch support so the standard Gamechangers are the perfect fit for me. Standard Kingfoams (I think those are in the first pic you shared) are also good for me except they don't have the arch support I prefer to have. All that said, I've never tried the other FP insoles with the heel cup so maybe I'm full of shit and would like them more but I doubt it based on what I just explained and my overall preference for footwear.

The picture is from a bad angle, there is not much drop, it is just the heel counter that is raised. The actual thickness is 5mm under heel, 3mm under toe. And like Rikki said, these need to be cut to size/fit the shoes.

[fernando the skater]

They don't seem very thick. The Etnies insoles mentioned further up the thread, and I like as well, are 5mm toe - 8mm heel.

[rikki]

Yeah, apart from the horizontally fat ass heel cup, the Kingfoams are actually quite flat and do not raise the heel upwards that much. The shape of the bright green side that goes up towards the heel makes for a bit of an optical illusion.

But yeah, as said, those wrap around the heel a lot, and the cup (sides and back) needs a bit of surgical precision with scissors for a proper fit.

[Slave IV]

They don't seem very thick. The Etnies insoles mentioned further up the thread, and I like as well, are 5mm toe - 8mm heel.

They come in several thicknesses. But, the energy absorption of the material is much greater than most other insoles so a thinner option from FP might still be better than a thicker insole from another brand.

As for the rise, good to know it’s not that significant. From what I remember, my Kingfoam are completely flat and the Gamechangers might have a slight rise but it’s mostly flat with just a small section around the toes that is thinner. I’ll have to check next time I need to take them out. Either way, I don’t like to have to trim my insoles and don’t think I need the heelcup. Since the ones I have seen perfect for me already, I’m good to go and I have extras since FP accidentally sent me a duplicate of my order a few weeks after I got my first shipment. I might not ever need to buy insoles again.

[swongolianbbq]

So, I took my kingfoam elite highs out of my blazers and was skating them in my Jordan 1s, and I didn't like how tall the heel was

Did some research and the heel stack on Jordan 1s, air ships, and dunk SBs is 5.5mm higher than blazers

So I just ordered some 5mm flat kingfoam insoles

That way the elite highs in my blazers and the flat mids in my Jordan 1s will feel like my feet are the same height of the ground

I wish they all had the heel cup like gamechangers

I wonder how secure I'm gonna feel in the heel area with just a flat insole, but it should be okay

Plus Jordan 1s tied kind of snug looks cool to me like all 80s looking

Totally sold on the FP foam though, this shit is legit.

I don't fuck with the kingfoam orthotics with goo, or the "pro" ones with the quantum shit in the heel cup

Honestly just the kingfoam elite high and kingfoam flat mid are prolly all ya need if you have high arches, one for vulc and one for cupsole

I don't trust the foam arch support on gamechangers though, and reminds don't have that kingfoam stuff, so I thought of something

If you take the SOLE brand "active thin" footbeds, they're awesome and I use them in super tight shoes like ski boots and cycling shoes and stuff, they're really thin plastic under the toe and midfoot, and a firm arch and heel cup in the back.. you could glue some of the flat basic 3mm kingfoam thin insoles to the bottom of those and have the best of both worlds... Actual support -and- the shock absorption

And in shoes like a last resort vm001 high or vans sk8-hi(not the "skate" version, R.I.P. vans Pros except for the oustole always peeling apart), or drop-in ones like the Wair Max or Leo Bakers, you could put the mid kingfoam elites(7mm heel-5mm toe) glued to the SOLE active thins and probably use a half size smaller shoe since the firm SOLE footbeds keep your foot locked in... You could also do it with the highs if you trim off the heel cup.. Like in ski boots I can wear a full size smaller boot because the insoles kinda pull my foot back a little, like if I rent ski boots and don't have my footbeds I have to get a full size bigger

[Slave IV]

The plain flat Kingfoam insoles are fine around the heel. They will mold to the shape of the shoe and kind of wrap around the shape of your foot, especially when warmed up. If you don't care about arch support, they are probably the cheapest and best FP insoles to get.

[swongolianbbq]

The plain flat Kingfoam insoles are fine around the heel. They will mold to the shape of the shoe and kind of wrap around the shape of your foot, especially when warmed up. If you don't care about arch support, they are probably the cheapest and best FP insoles to get.

Are they really wide around the heel like the Elite highs?

I was worried those wouldn't fit in my blazers, but they just kind of mash in there and work great. So if the 5mm flat ones are wider back there too, it should simulate a heel cup a little bit, which I'd be happy with. Either way, they're in the mail and I'm psyched to try em out. The elite highs will live forever only in my blazer mids

And yeah I don't care about arch support except in shoes that I want to fit as tight as possible/no foot movement at all like ice climbing boots, cycling shoes, ski boots, snowboard boots etc

I tried arch support and half-size down skate shoes for a couple years and they would be too tight in the toes, not enough heel cushion, etc

I bet glueing a kingfoam elite mid to a thin SOLE footbed in some SB Leos a half size down would be absolutely killer though, performance-wise, but I kinda just wanna chill have have a lot of boardfeel and room to wiggle. I have high arches anyway