For the people asking about custom orthotics:
- If you have health insurance, you can probably get them partially or completely covered if you get them prescribed by a doctor. If you go to a doctor with foot/knee/back pain and ask about orthotics, they will likely prescribe them.
- Mine were about $250 CAD (about $185 USD), but my insurance covered some of the cost. I don't know the cost in the US, but I imagine it's comparable. They're custom made, so you can pick options or features that will make the price go up or down; but yeah, they're not cheap. I didn't love the price, but they were a medical need for me, and have made a big difference. Call a few places and get price quotes - the price can vary a lot from one place to the next.
- I don't know where everyone lives, but most places will have somewhere you can get them because most places have grandmas that need orthopedic shoes. I was fitted for mine by a chiropractor, but there will probably be places in your area that specialize in them, or your doctor may be able to do it. Google '(your city) custom orthotics,' and you'll probably have a few options. Check reviews if they're available.
- There's not really a brand to recommend - they'll take a mold of your foot in the office and send it off to a lab to have the orthotics made, so the brand will vary based on what is local or close to you, but they'll be comparable products regardless.
- Those FP insoles are not custom orthotics. In my opinion, they're a lot less similar than the FP marketing suggests. My feet are in pretty bad shape (plantar fasciitis and achilles tendinitis), so the FP insoles didn't work for me. Not to say they're a bad product, but they are a different one. Custom orthotics are much more supportive, but they are also more rigid, so they'll take some getting used to, especially for skating.
- The orthotics do take up some space in your shoes, so it will effect how they fit. Your heel will sit a little higher, so mid and high tops are good, but not an absolute necessity. As far as the insole underneath, it depends on the shoe. My orthotics fit well over the stock insole on Dunks, but I removed the stock insole on Adidas Tyshawns. If the insole is significantly higher in the heel than the forefoot (like Vans Ultracush), it's not going to work under an orthotic. In those cases, I'll take out the stock insole and put a thinner/flatter one in its place (e.g. in Vans Kyle Walkers, I replaced the Ultracush with the Zoom insole from an old pair of Converses, and it worked). I still buy the same size shoes, but some shoes just won't work for me.
- Orthotics or not, you should be mindful of your shoe choice as well. If you spend all that money on orthotics and then stick them in paper thin vulcs, they're only going to do so much for you. I look for decently supportive cupsoles with some level of midsole cushioning, in addition to the orthotics.
Topic: Post the shoes you're wearing. (Read 4575851 times)