Hallmarkaholic—April 10, 2015
I had bought a new pair of shoes recently but found that they provided ZERO support for my arch and was causing quite a bit of discomfort after walking in them for a few hours. I am as flat-footed as a duck and had tried the usual route with Dr. Scholl's inserts, and while they helped, they still didn't support my arch any better either. I did some research and came across the Samurai insoles for flat feet and decided to give them a try. Although they were quite a bit more expensive than the off-the-shelf brands, the built in arch support piqued my interest. I ordered a pair and received them a few weeks ago before a scheduled trip to Texas, where I knew I would be doing a lot of walking. When I received them, I followed the instructions and removed the existing insoles in my shoes and inserted the Samurai's. They fit into the shoe almost perfectly and required no trimming. I slipped the shoes on and tried walking around a bit. At first they felt a little weird, as I just wasn't used to something that was actually pushing up into my arches and giving me support. I walked around for about a day but still felt that my feet were getting sore and tired. Then I thought of something. . . I took my shoes off and removed the Samurai insoles, then re-inserted the ORIGINAL shoe insoles back into the shoes, followed by the Samurai's on top. As soon as I slipped my feet back into my shoes, I could feel a real difference. Now, I had great support AND a much softer, comfortable step. I felt like I was walking on cushions, and there was no crowding or discomfort from a too-tight shoe. I wore them to work like this for several days so I could get used to them. Fast-forward to my Texas trip last week. We went to San Antonio and spent an entire day checking out the River Walk, which is incredibly cool BTW. That day, I put on over 8-miles of walking and not once did my feet hurt or get cramped. They were tired of course, but that I can deal with. We also spent several more days walking many miles and my feet did not bother me. I can say without a doubt that the Samurai Insoles made a huge difference. Now, some observations. . . * Arch Support: Yes, these insoles do have fairly good arch support, but it's not over the top. It does the job without pushing your foot up too high. * Softness: By themselves, these insoles are not all that soft, but by inserting them ON TOP of your original shoe insoles, you will have a nice cushy step. I guess in some shoes this might be a problem, but for me it made all the difference, so if you order these insoles, try it both ways. * Break-In period: I don't understand the very slow break-in period recommended in the instructions. Wearing these for only an hour or two a day when first starting seems like a waste of time to me, but I guess some people's feet might not be able to take the extra arch support for too long without a break. For me, my feet felt so good I just left them in and never looked back. Try it and see how long you can go. I wouldn't take them out if your feet aren't hurting or tired. * Price: Yes, they are quite a bit more expensive than the off-the-shelf variety, but they are truly orthotic and specifically shaped to support your big flat feet or other foot problems. Custom orthotics would run hundreds of dollars if you went to a doctor. This is a reasonable alternative. Bottom line - I really like the Samurai's. Now I can get the shoes I want and know that I can also get the support my flat feet really need. I expect to wear these out with the shoes and replace them with new ones when I buy a new pair of shoes. I can't guarantee that these will be the answer to all your foot problems, but I can say that I have definitely made an improvement in the comfort of my feet for a reasonable cost and no hassle. Give a shot - your feet might just thank you after a long day. . . Read more
beb—December 30, 2025
Reviews for: - Samarai Insoles: FIVE STARS - WalkHero Insoles: FIVE STARS - ValSole Insoles: FIVE STARS - SB Sox PF Relief Socks: FIVE STARS - Koprez PF Sleeve: FOUR STARS - Vibit (purchased directly instead of thru Amazon): THREE STARS - Tisscare foot massager with heat (purchased earlier somewhere else): FIVE STARS My experience with Plantar Fasciitis (PF): I’m 64, female, retired for one year, and lead an active lifestyle. My normal routine includes a 4-5 mile walk every morning, pickleball 5x per week, and golf when I can. PF symptoms showed up suddenly about two months ago – suddenly it hurt too much to walk very far and pickleball was excruciating. It affected both feet, but the pain in my right foot was significantly worse. In spite of all the products that promise fast relief, I learned that managing PF is a multi-step process. Here's what worked for me – in order of implementation: - I threw away five pairs of worn-out running shoes and started wearing my newest pair all the time. - I quit going barefoot and now wear shoes all the time, even inside the house. - I quite wearing dress shoes or sandals (easy for me since I’m retired). - I started stretching my heels/calves multiple times per day, with and without a step. - I rolled my foot over a frozen water bottle or a small hard plastic ball with spikes on it. The plastic ball seems to work better, and soon I was using it several times per day. - I bought three different pairs of PF insoles so I could use them all the time. I couldn’t really tell any difference between the three brands I tried, but I think the ones with deep heel cups (WalkHero and ValSole) are better, and those are the two I use most of the time. - I bought SB Sox and now wear them on both feet during all waking hours. - I tried the Koprez Sleeve, but found that it was uncomfortable to wear all the time. I tried wearing it on a walk, but it actually became more painful after about ¼ mile. I tried wearing it for pickleball, and it was wonderful. The Koprez Sleeve allows me to keep playing pickleball. - I tried foam rolling my calves. I think it helped, but it was really hard on my arms. So I quit. - I bought the Vibit, hoping that I could use it on my calves as well as my feet. It vibrated as advertised, but it was actually harder to use than a foam roller and it didn’t seem more effective. It felt good on my feet but I couldn’t tell if it helped or not. Following the directions requires 15 minutes per foot dedicated to using the massager (no multi-tasking is possible). I still use it occasionally if I want a few extra minutes without sitting down with the Tisscare, but I don’t think this purchase helped with the PF. I have also used the Vibit for other things (IT band, back, arms), and it offers a nice massage. - I started using a Tisscare foot massager with heat that we already owned. It seemed to help a lot, and it was easy to use as I could just sit there and let the massager do the work on both feet at the same time while I read or used my phone. I’m still using it 2-3x per day for 20 minutes. Very much worth the money and I will buy it again if it quits working. Results: - It took about four weeks to research, purchase, and start using all the products listed above. During that first four weeks, I quit my morning walks and cut back on pickleball (I could not play two days in a row). Pain was intense, especially after pickleball or at the end of the day. - Within a couple weeks, the morning pain was better, mostly because I stretched and rolled 2-3 times during the night (I wake up anyway). - After putting everything into place (about four weeks), the morning pain was pretty much gone and I started walking two miles in the morning. I still had pain if I played pickleball – and the pain continued for the rest of the day. - After six weeks, I was able to increase the morning walks to my normal 4-5 miles most days and experienced only minimal pain with pickleball. - It’s been about eight weeks, and I’m still continuing to work on it. Pain is minimal and I’m able to walk 5+ miles and play pickleball! Read more
