Every day, our feet provide a lot of effort without us realizing it. They are our most precious allies, during our daily walk, in our sports activities or in prolonged standing. Often, it can happen that our feet get tired. Some of us consider this feeling "normal". Yet there is a solution that can relieve our feet and give them the comfort they deserve: wear adapted insoles. Although invisible, at SIDAS we consider them as essential. Maybe you're already wearing some? Or you heard about them, but you don’t know if you need them? There are many types of insoles to meet the needs of each type of foot and activities. We called on Thomas Arnaud, a podiatrist at SIDAS Sports Orthopedics Center, to shed some light on this subject and understand their benefits.

Who are they for?

"The insoles are for everyone, for everyday life and all sports activities. When we buy a sneaker or any other street shoe, the insoles supplied are in standard format. But a foot is unique and a standard insole is not necessarily suitable for all feet.

How do I know if I need insoles in my shoes?

When the foot is not well adjusted in the shoe, the unwinding of the walk or the running can’t be optimal. An adapted insole will help to better transfer the supports of the foot towards your shoe. The insoles meet two basic needs:

- Improve comfort in a shoe.
- Solve a targeted point of discomfort. (If you have pain, we advise you to consult a professional: a podiatristor an other specialist under doctor's prescription. *) Whether in your daily life, in your leisure time and in sport, make sure that the cushioning and reinforcements of your shoes are sufficient and adapted to your type of foot.

What are the main benefits?

Wearing insoles that are adapted to your foot and activity has both short- and long-term benefits.
The 3D or molded insoles on your foot increases the support of the arch and provides great comfort. During physical activity, their cushion help relieve and prevent joint or muscle pain in the feet. All joints can indeed suffer from a bad positioning of the foot.
In the short term: you will feel more comfort, better support, more protection, better feelings and less fatigue.
In the long term: you will get a better recovery because the joints are less solicited.

Do we need different insoles for sport and city use?

Insufficient cushioning and support may be responsible for the feeling of tired feet. Better comfort can significantly improve their health.
For everyday life and sport, each model has its own specificities and the needs are different:
For the city: cushioning gel, thin layer, maintenance and hygiene
For running: cushioning, flexibility, lightness and dynamism
For hiking: support and protection, with cushioning
For winter sports: heat and cold insulation, maintenance, stability and protection

What type of insoles to choose based on my foot and my activity?

For each activity, the expectations and needs of users are different. SIDAS insoles meet the needs of each and helps you select the ideal model for the arch of your feet. You can find the insole you need according to the desired technology (flat soles, 3D soles, 3Feet semi-custom soles and 100% customized CUSTOM insoles) and the activity you practice (running, outdoor activities, ski, daily use). If you want to be correctly oriented towards the type of product adapted to your practice, go to the specialists in the sports shops. They will analyze your feet and recommend the best insoles model. Trained and labeled in our premises to master the techniques, they will advise you according to your needs.

How long do I have to keep them?

It is difficult to give a lifetime for the insoles in number of kilometers or number of days. It depends on the person and the frequency of use: are you a walker or an ultra-trailer? Their average is about the lifetime of two of your pairs of shoes. The coating under the metatarsals is often the place where the wear appears first. But beware, a new insole will not give a second life to a damaged shoe!

To prolong the life of your insole, we advise you to remove it of the shoe after each use, in order to dry it in the open air and not in a closed environment.

Should we wear them continuously?

For comfort insoles intended for everyday life and sport, we would tend to tell you that once worn, you will not be able to continue without them! " In short, here are the 5 reasons to wear insoles in your shoes:
- they optimize the properties of the shoe
- they stabilize the foot
- they improve the alignment of the body
- they promote natural cushioning
- they limit the lengthening of the foot and its fatigue
Experience this new comfort yourself!

* Important note
If you have pain or a history of injuries, we recommend that you first refer to a health professional foot specialist (a podiatrist or any other specialist), so that he can discuss the pain and achieve an overall clinical examination. He will determine if you need customized insoles with corrections or not.

As part of a paramedical consultation, the professional will adapt the materials and the volume of the insoles according to the activity and any pathologies.