Our top tips on Custom versus off the
shelf insoles & why your feet will thank you, if you seek professional help
by Benn Boshell
Custom
made insoles and off the shelf insoles (both often referred to as orthotics)
are frequently used to treat a wide range of foot and ankle conditions.
Off
the shelf insoles are widely available in local shops as well as literally hundreds
of different options available online. But with so many options on shape,
design, and material it can become a minefield knowing what may be suitable for
you and your needs.
Custom
made insoles, on the other hand, are prescribed by podiatrists specifically for
your individual needs. The key difference between custom and off the shelf is
the prescription. This is similar to having a prescription for medication such
as dosage and frequency or for reading glasses. The prescribing podiatrist
determines which design and material will be most suitable for you and how much
correction to build into the device to improve your foot function and resolve
your foot pain.
Whilst
it is true that off the shelf insoles may be adequate for some people and help
improve their pain, there are still many occasions when off the shelf insoles
just aren't enough and this is something we see routinely in clinic, as most of
our patients with foot pain have already tried an off the shelf insole prior to
coming to see us. One of the most common reasons for the insoles not helping is
that they have not been designed to help with the patient’s unique condition.
For example, an insole designed to help with heel pain will be vastly different
to an insole designed to help with pain in the ball of the foot. Additionally,
the shape of our feet including alignment, arch height and length and foot
width varies hugely from one person to another.
So
which should you go for? Custom made or off the shelf?
Our
advice is to see a podiatrist before attempting to self diagnose and
subsequently self treat. Your podiatrist will be able to advise you on whether
custom made insoles are necessary or whether off the shelf insoles would be a
perfectly reasonable alternative. Over the years what we have found is that we
get more consistent and better treatment responses from custom made insoles
versus off the shelf insoles.
