Good morning and happy Wednesday. I hope that whoever reads this review post is having an amazing week. If for whatever reason, you aren’t having a very good week, I hope that your week improves ASAP. I’ve got a review of some running insoles for you today. As I’m aware that people don’t enjoy reading what I call ‘pure’ review posts, I had originally planned on including this review in a post celebrating my successful completion of the Couch to 5k. Unfortunately, during the penultimate interval session, my left knee decided it doesn’t like running so I’m yet to run 5k.
I think it’s fair to say that I’m an injury-prone runner. I’ve struggled with my knees and feet a lot. I sometimes wonder if all my recent injuries are linked to the metatarsal stress fracture I experienced in 2014. My knees and feet haven’t been the same since and my recent Run3D gait analysis highlighted several issues with my running technique. I’ve been spending more time completing the evidence-based strength and conditioning exercises I was provided following the gait analysis and if I’m honest, was a little disappointed I picked up another knee injury.
I’ve worn customised insoles in my trainers for several years, so I was thrilled when I was recently offered the opportunity to test out and review a pair of Superfeet insoles. I was actually sent two pairs of Superfeet insoles to review; this review focuses on the Superfeet RUN Pain Relief insoles.
Although I haven’t been able to run for a couple of weeks, I wore the Superfeet RUN Pain Relief insoles during the majority of my Couch to 5k interval sessions, so I feel that I’m in a position to write a hopefully useful product review. Before I launch into my review, here’s some information about the Superfeet brand.
An introduction to Superfeet
Superfeet have been making insoles for over 40 years, making them the experts in underfoot support and alleviating foot pain. They are the go-to insole choice for many professional shoe fitters and offer four types of insoles as part of their ‘Run Insole’ collection.
Professional trail runner Ricky Lightfoot uses Superfeet insoles in his trainers:
“When you begin to have problems with your feet it can have an impact on your whole body. It is essential to look after yourself from the bottom up, so for me using a footbed is the first step in looking after your body when you run. My Superfeet insoles support my feet as well as providing comfort, something which normal insoles don’t offer. I would never go back to not using them – they are invaluable for my long off-road runs.”
All Superfeet insoles are sculpted for comfort and pain relief by cradling heels, hugging arches, and giving all-round extra support. They enhance the way the foot is intended to move, dispersing impact and decreasing stress and strain on the foot and body. Superfeet have looked at the podiatric science and combined innovative materials and cutting-edge technology to create insoles, which have proven to relieve foot pain and enhance the comfort of footwear for sportspeople.
I completed the ‘insole fit finder’ questionnaire on the Superfeet website. This identified the RUN Comfort insoles as my best match and the RUN Pain Relief insoles as a great match.
Superfeet very kindly sent me a pair of each to test out and review. Thanks to my knee injury, I’ve only been able to run in the RUN Pain Relief insoles, so this review will focus on these. I’ll be sure to review the RUN Comfort insoles as soon as I’m back up and running.
Superfeet RUN Pain Relief insoles
According to the Superfeet website, designed specifically for running, Superfeet RUN Pain Relief insoles help stabilise the foot to minimize repetitive stress. The Superfeet shape personalises the fit of the shoe, while the independent Heel Stabilizer keeps the pain relieving-shape closer to the foot.
Product features
As a runner with fragile feet, the Superfeet RUN Pain Relief insoles sounded pretty much perfect and as my existing insoles needed replacing, I couldn’t wait to try them out.
The review process
When the two pairs of Superfeet insoles arrived they looked quite a lot larger than I was expecting. Let’s just say that for a moment I was worried I’d somehow managed to order the wrong size. I’d forgotten that my Size 9 Brooks trainers are like boats and that I’d need to trim the insoles down to size. The insoles came with trimming instructions:
I’m not the best at cutting things out so I found Step 3 a tad stressful. Fortunately, I managed to avoid the embarrassment of having to ask for a replacement pair of insoles due to a scissor-related disaster. This has happened to me before.
Once Step 3 was complete, I loosened the laces of my trainers, removed the Brooks insoles, and then inserted the Superfeet insoles inside the trainers. Top tip, be sure to thoroughly loosen your laces, this makes life a lot easier especially when working with brand new trainers. Once I’d managed to insert the Superfeet insoles inside the trainers I was ready to go.
As I wanted to get my feet used to my new trainers and new insoles, I spent a couple of weeks wearing the trainers around the house. Working from home does have some perks. This hopefully gave my feet plenty of time to adapt to the new trainers and insoles. Once I felt reasonably confident my temperamental feet had adapted, I laced up my trainers and headed out the door on a short test run.
How did I find the Superfeet RUN Pain Relief insoles?
Superfeet RUN Pain Relief insoles are designed to help stabilise the foot to minimise repetitive stress. While my feet felt quite stable when I was running, during the first run my heels moved around quite a lot, and didn’t feel that supported. When I got home I realised that I hadn’t used the independent heel stabilisers that were provided with the insoles. Once I’d spotted my mistake, I added the heel stabilisers and didn’t look back.
The fact that after that initial run, I didn’t notice the insoles when I was running is a positive. The insoles didn’t create any what I’d call hotspots or blisters on my feet and my feet felt comfortable 99% of the time when I was running. Strangely, the insoles didn’t feel quite so comfortable during my five minute warm-up and cool-down walks.
The insoles didn’t rub when I managed to get my trainers wet less than one minute into a slightly longer run, always a bonus as in the past I’ve had some terrible experiences. However, I think it’s worth me highlighting that due to my knee injury I haven’t been able to test out the insoles on a longer run in wet conditions.
And the negatives?
It would be remiss of me to write this review without mentioning my knee injury. After all, I picked up this injury while I was running in these insoles. This injury prevented me from completing the Couch to 5k and continues to prevent me from running. I also ended the third week of the Couch to 5k with an unwelcome addition to my right heel in the form of a painful lump. This lump is still causing me issues and unfortunately seems to be with me to stay.
I’ll never know for sure if these injuries were caused by me increasing my mileage too soon, by spending more time on my exercise bike which if I’m honest is slightly too small for me, by my new trainers, or by the insoles. Perhaps it was a combination of the four, I’ll never know for sure.
I have to mention the unwanted ‘bonus’ feature of the left insole; the sound effects. I’m not sure what caused this to start after 50 quiet miles, but I sounded like I was walking across a really creaky wooden floorboard. It was so loud that during my 5am interval sessions I was concerned I’d wake people up. You could definitely hear me approaching and I scared a few local cats. I removed the insole a couple of times and readjusted it to see if it made a difference, it didn’t so I learned to shut out the creaking.
The verdict
So, would I recommend the Superfeet RUN Pain Relief insoles to other runners? Yes, I would. Although I think the insoles are quite expensive, they provide reliable support and comfort for up to 12 months or 500 miles, whichever comes first. By my dodgy calculations that equates to 9p/mile. I didn’t feel any pain in my feet while I was running, I don’t think the insoles caused my knee injury; I blame the uneven pavements in Four Oaks and a moment of clumsiness. Thanks again to Superfeet for sending me these insoles and for letting me test them thoroughly.
For more information on Superfeet please visit Superfeet. You can also find a list of Superfeet retailers and locate the store closest to you here.
**Full disclosure: I was sent a pair of Superfeet RUN Pain Relief insoles for free in return for an honest review. The insoles have a RRP of £45. I did not receive any payment for this review and as always, all opinions and photographs are my own**
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