A Sore Soles simile worth considering
UPDATE, next day: Tried these insoles in one walking shoe and a standard memory foam insole in the other shoe. There was no contest. The standard insole felt like a slightly softer concrete floor while walking, while these insoles made my other foot feel alive, invigorated and refreshed with every step. I couldn't wait to get the other shoe off. I already ordered another pair of these insoles and will be installing them in all my performance/walking/running shoes. Worth every penny. To me, they feel just like the Sore Soles insoles. I noticed that cutting them to fit the insert, as I mention below, was a big help. My Brooks have a scooped-up heel insert and arch for better support, so my custom cut gave me the Revitalizing effect all along my heel and arch, instead of trying to cut the insoles to a flat template and effect. This may just be my preference, but the effect was fuller. They have an acupressure-esque effect and according to foot reflexology, the feet tie in nerves to many aspects if the body, so it is sort of an all-over Revitalizing effect. I followed my walk today on them with chores in my FILA Massagios, and those have a legit acupressure effect (like walking on gravel, lol, but in a good for you sort of way). Where normally I lay down to recharge after a day of errands and walking, I am still going on chores after being done with errands 5 hours ago. Coincidence? Doubtful. Revitalized? Probably! After walking in these insoles, I only want these and to me they are the replacement for Sore Soles, I'm glad to say. All feet are different, but for the price of two coffees, you may be able to refresh your whole body with these bumpy little insoles, especially if you are a walker. I may order some extras for a stash, in case they discontinue these, too. Original Review: If you liked the Dr. Scholl's Sore Soles in/of the past - that they no longer make, BTW - these are a close simile for a replacement or stand-in, pardon the pun, for those insoles. Once you got used to those insoles, you wanted more. These also have the massaging nodules and are good for walking, as you get the massaging effect therein. I just cut these into my shoes, so whether they will wear and feel and last the same as Sore Soles is yet to be determined, but they have the massaging bumps all over the insole's top surface (instead of only in certain foot areas) and those nodules make a difference, eapecially if you are a regular walker or do walking "expeditions" like Disneyland that involve long bouts of walking and standing. They "are" reinvigorating and make the feet feel more refreshed and soothed after activity, so I find that to be a plus. Of course, these comments apply to the Sore Soles Insoles I have been using for years and am hoping these new insoles perform and feel the same or close to those, based on having almost the exact same appearance. If you have good performance shoes (Brooks, etc.)...I pulled out my Brooks insert and held it against the insole and cut it carefully that way. Since Brooks inserts are sort-of "sculpted" and the heel is cup-pish, the insert wouldn't fit right with some template by an insole company. This way, the insole fit perfectly into the insert, and holding both together slipped easily back into the shoe without wrestling - thanks to Brooks engineering, the inserts are easy to in/out. I would suggest using a spare piece of cardboard to cut-to-fit for sizing to your shoes, if your insert don't remove, and once those fit your shoes, then cut the insoles. After looking for and not finding the Sore Soles that worked well, I was relieved when these arrived to discover them covered with those massaging nodules that were the Sore Sole's insoles selling point for me. If you were a Sore Soles aficianado, these are the closest grab-and-go replacement as close to the original that I could find. My feet will let me know if they make the grade after a "test drive" and I will update if there is some great variance, but if not, these are much more comfortable for Walkers than a regular insoles and worth it. My Brooks are good and have good stability and comfort around the foot and ankle, and that matters, but it is still like walking on hard tiles. The Sore Soles insoles allowed me to preserve my fave Skechers walkers (mesh top, great for the hot-footed), so I am keen to see how they feel with these insoles. These, like most, insoles DO take up some shoe-room and are a bit bulkier, but worth the real estate in comfort. I always get performance shoes a bit roomier, so the insoles shoes be fine. Would also be good for whatever your kitchen shoes are, as there is a lot of stepping and standing on hard floors there. Another reviewer mentioned these extending the life of her fave slippers, so I may experiment with that for kitchen/cooking shoes use. If you find yourself tending toward the shoes with these inserts for walking, running errands, expeditioning, etc., it is likely that these insoles DO work to massage and refresh the foot, and therefore, the leg and all attached. You may find, as I did, you need that comfort and refreshment in more of your shoes and need to get more of these insoles. If you do, you may want to consider stocking up, before inflation doubles their prices or the company discontinues them, as they did with Sore Soles. They are unique, do what they say, and are affordable. A trifecta! I put some regular insoles in my Brooks too, so if those don't make the grade on a walk, I will be getting more of these. Read more
