I've been having discomfort/pain in my arch of my feet and the balls of my toes on my right foot for a months and went to see my podiatrist yesterday. I need arch supports, but my insurance doesn't cover them and it is just under $500 for a pair. I started looking online and found several places that over them at a fraction of the price...$150ish or so. These are custom molded arch supports. Basically, they send you a kit to mold your feet, then you mail it in and they create the supports. Can any of you recommend someone to use? Here is one place I have looked at.

Have you tried a simple foot scan yet with a semi custom orthotic?
I had the customs when insurance paid that my Chiropractor sent off.
I have since switched to a semi custom.
I had my feet scanned at Fleet Feet a running store and they matched me up with one of 4 options I think.
They offer Super Feet and they are like $50-$75 and work just as well as the big money full custom ones.
I use ones that are green and add a bunch of arch support. You have to wear them for short periods of time for a few days as if you just slap them in and go your legs and back will hurt.

https://www.superfeet.com/en-us/

I bought a set of Protalus orthotics to try to replace the Super Feet.
While the Protalus were a little more squishy leading to a little better comfort. The insoles smelled like petroleum. They smelled so strong and so bad the cuffs of my pants absorbed the smell as well as my shoes.
I was sitting in the office of my LGS and my buddy was like does anyone else smell gas?
That is when I chucked those. I emailed the company and they said they actually get the complaint a lot and were trying to remedy it.
I had them sit in the sun, foot powder, sprayed them with odor remover. Nothing helped.

The best ones I've used are the "hard" inserts from the "Good Feet" store. They are amazing and are worth the money.

Last year I tried the "mail in" kind and they are quite good too. They often have "specials".

Do it!

quote:

Originally posted by Rolan_Kraps:
The best ones I've used are the "hard" inserts from the "Good Feet" store. They are amazing and are worth the money.

Last year I tried the "mail in" kind and they are quite good too. They often have "specials".

Do it!

Another vote for “Good Feet” supports.

Bought them a few years ago for me, my wife, and mother law. We all love them.

Beware, there are places on line and many podiatrists that will shit-talk them.

They are a real competitor to Podiatrists and as such there is animosity.

No, they are not “custom” molded, but they measure your feet and select one of about 40 or so “standard” supports that will provide the necessary support.

I have ones my chiropractor ordered. But they are mail in so I would search for reviews of your vendor and pull the trigger. I've worn out one or two sets. They are an absolute must for me.

 
I wear an AFO (ankle and foot orthotic), due to foot drop, which is secondary to long standing sciatica. It lifts the front of my foot as I walk so I don't trip over things. Before getting this, I could trip on a bare floor.

I bookmarked the Good Feet website for future reference.
https://www.goodfeet.com/

Yes, I have worn them for many years and couldn't walk without them.

I had some major foot surgery 12 years ago and the surgeon and his orthotic specialist switched me from hard to soft material. A couple of years ago, I had pain in the other foot and went back to the surgeon and he made a small change in the orthotic and it cured the problem.

It is painful for me to walk without them. I am now retired and Medicare does not pay for them. I consider it money well spent.

I have flat feet, and wear custom orthotics in my work boots and in my running shoes. I had them made by my podiatrist.

They do make a big difference for times when I'm on my feet for a long time, or especially when running.

I've never done the mail in type... Considering it's for your physical well-being and for pain relief, I'd say it's worth spending the extra money at the podiatrist to make sure it's done right, and to be able to go back to them if you run into issues. Cheapest isn't always best.

Mine aren't that expensive though. I think I paid ~$300 for my latest pair several years ago. They last a decade or more. I've had two pairs in ~16 years.

I've worn custom made orthotics since about 1983 when I was 10. I had a new pair made a few years ago...maybe the fourth of fifth pair so far in my life. I've always had a podiatrist make them. I've heard they have a procedure where you can step on some type of mat that measures your foot. Last time I went I asked about that. The podiatrist said she uses the old method of taking a cast of the feet. Maybe a cast isn't the correct term. They wrap your feet in plaster of paris strips, wait for it to harden and slip them off.

They are expensive, but worth it IMO. Like I said, I got my first pair when I was 10 or so. I played a lot of sports back then. At the end of practice I could barely walk my feet hurt so bad. I still have pain in my feet, but it's 10 time better than not wearing the orthotics.

The padding only last 2 years max. I actually ripped the padding off a few weeks ago. I think they get $75 to glue new padding on them. I should have that done...

quote:

Originally posted by 1967Goat:
The padding only last 2 years max. I actually ripped the padding off a few weeks ago. I think they get $75 to glue new padding on them. I should have that done...

My podiatrist says to just wear it with the attached padded insole until that wears out (which is usually only a few months for me), then tear off that insole section and slip the actual custom molded plastic portion under the existing shoe insole insert and keep wearing them.

The rigid plastic section is the important part. That's what takes many years to wear out from repeated use. And this plastic custom orthotic doesn't slip around inside the shoe, even with no longer being attached to an insole. (At least on mine, which basically consists of the heel and the arch area, with nothing in the ball or toe area... Yours might be different, and may be able to slip around, depending on how it's laid out.)

I'd be just as happy if my custom orthotics didn't come with a chintzy insole glued to it, and I'd just start out with using them underneath the shoe's existing insole insert.


One thing I forgot to mention is that it does affect the way your shoes fit. So if you get custom orthotics and stick them in your favorite pair of shoes, they may no longer be your favorites because it can change how they feel. It's best to bring your orthotics with you when buying new shoes, especially with stuff like running shoes or work shoes that you know you're always going to be wearing with your orthotics. With something like casual shoes or dress shoes, you may not be wearing your orthotic with them, so it may not matter.

Most notably, it effectively adds height to the bottom of your foot, especially in the heel area, so you may need a shoe with more room in the upper area. It can also exacerbate stuff like heel slippage by altering how the heel sits inside the shoe, so you may need to adjust your lacing to counter this. I had to start lacing my running shoes a special way to lock in my heels when I first got orthotics, to prevent heel slippage. (You can find guides online for stuff like this, or you can go to a running shoe store like Fleet Feet for guidance.)

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
My podiatrist says to just wear it with the attached padded insole until that wears out (which is usually only a few months for me), then tear off that insole section and slip the actual custom molded plastic portion under the existing shoe insole insert and keep wearing them.

Yep, this has been my approach since I started wearing them. However, the pair I have now was from a new doc I had never seen before. They installed a full foot, thick cushion on top of the hard plastic. I was genuinely surprised how soft it felt. It was like walking on brand new carpet in socks with really good padding. It felt awesome. I was so surprised I asked the assistant who gave them to me how much it cost to have new padding installed when it wore out. She then told me $75. I was a little shocked at the cost, but man, I think it will be worth it.

One thing to note is you will most likely need a half size larger shoe. I actually ran into this 2 weeks ago. I splurged on a new set of snowboard boots and bindings. They measured my foot as a 9.5. However, I did not put the orthodics under my foot when they measured, but I do put them in my snowboard boots. The boots were a little tight, but the sales guy told me they were the correct size and would break in. I took them home and they were too damn tight. I went back and got a size 10, but forgot to have them measure my foot with the orthodic on top of the gauge/foot measurer thingy. I am convinced my foot would be a size 10 if I had it measured that way. YMMV.

Rogue mentioned above hos your foot will now be "taller" in the shoe. That is definitely true. I can only wear laced shoes because of this. No slip on shoes/loafers for me. My foot sticks up too high. I also only wear taller shoes for the most part...the ones that go higher up the ankle...like the ones below. I absolutely can't wear running shoes.

Go to a ski shop that has a certified boot fitter. They can make custom foot beds on site