"Quite possibly the world's most comfortable insole..." is what the website reads, and to be completely honest, I was 110% skeptical when a product rep reached out to me to do a review of Form Premium Insoles. I've been a big fan of the minimal and barefoot footwear for a few years now, and a lot of the shoes I wear don't even have insoles. I backpack in Vivobarefoot Trail Freak running shoes, and love it! (Sometimes, however, a little cushion and support feels real nice...) I've always been a big fan of Keen footwear and have always had great experiences with the comfort and durability of their shoes. Obviously, these do have insoles but they are nothing to be proud of. Like a majority of footwear out there, the factory insoles are typically a flimsy piece of foam with no structure or shape... This is no good if you are looking for comfort or support. I chose to put these in my Keen's and have not been disappointed. I have noticed that, at times, when carrying weight on my back and putting a lot of stress on my feet I've experienced some minor Plantar Fasciitis symptoms. If you've ever experienced plantar fasciitis, you know it's not a pleasant thing... and a lot of people who don't have proper support in their shoes or trained, strong feet can get it. Here is our friends over at Sectionhiker.com's definition of P.F. "Without proper support, your foot tries to flatten when you take a step, the ligaments that run lengthwise along the bottom of your feet stretch out, and then snap back when you lift your foot. If you do this over and over, thousands of times a day, the ligaments can become inflamed and cause pain where they attach to the heel." (Now, because you wear normal footwear does not mean you do not have strong feet... If you stay active, get outside, exercise, etc., etc. you will have a strong body, feet included) Form Premium Insoles are GREAT! They offer support where it's needed and they do actually mold to your foot. They offer a variety of widths and support options for just about any volume and shape of shoe. You can mold them 2 ways: Stick them in your shoes, and wear them for a few days until they shape to your foot (this is the option I did with my keens). Option 2 is to put them into the oven on a very low setting and watch for the little heat indicator sticker to turn colors. Take em' out, stick them in your shoes and walk around for a few minutes. BAM! Custom insoles. (I do have 1 more set of Form Insoles to try and will use this method to shape them next). They may feel a little bit stiff at first, but give them a couple days and they will soften up even more. You may be thinking, "What makes these different from those other insoles?", and truth be told, probably not much. They have a nicer price point, and from what I can tell, last a little longer.
I would give Form Premium Insoles 2 thumbs up, and will continue to use them in my standard hiking shoes! They offer free shipping on their site and a 100 day, money back guarantee (which is pretty sweet). Check out their selection of insoles HERE! *Form Premium Insoles provided Bob's Adventure Blog with 2 pairs of insoles for review purposes.
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