"Jerry Sievers" wrote ...
Quoted message said:Hello.
I am wondering if it makes sence to have some molded hard plastic
insoles made by a orthotist or other in order to relieve the pressure
from the ball of the foot?
Such a thing wouldn't necessarily have to cover the entire foot sole
but at least from the toes to about mid-arch. It would have to be
aggressively contoured to apply pressure to the areas that are
normally recessed, anterior arch etc.
Most of the long distance cyclists that I train with complain of
pressure related discomfort, myself included. No one that I know of
has done much of anything about it.
Any experiences like this or other solution?
As a few people have said, custom footbeds/orthotics are generally used to
align and support the ankle and the rear half of the foot, benefitting the
knee and hip joints as well. Having said that, I've found that a good
footbed can make the entire foot more comfortable, along with the knees,
hips and the rest of one's body.
When I was learning to make footbeds for ski boots, I was told that if the
footbed corrected the alignment of the rear/posterior half of the foot then
the entire foot would fall into alignment. This certainly worked for me, and
it makes sense if you look at your foot and wiggle it around a little.
As another poster mentioned, the Superfeet cut-to-fit insoles are indeed
excellent. I've been using them in hiking shoes, running shoes,cycling shoes
and ski boots for quite a few years and they make a real difference any time
I have to spend a long time on my feet. When I was making custom footbeds
for ski boots it seemed that the Superfeet cut-to-fit insoles worked about
as well as custom footbeds for a very high percentage of customers, for a
lot less money.
--
mark
