Posts Tagged Spenco
Spenco Insoles for When the Ones in Your Shoes Are Crap
Replacement insoles are a lot like their neighbor, socks. You don’t often hear people gushing on about their new insole purchase and you probably won’t see these Spenco products pinned on anyone’s wish list collection on Pinterest anytime soon. As with quality socks, however, a relatively small amount of money spent on an unglamorous item can make a huge difference in your comfort level. Especially after a full day of walking.
I care about insoles so much that I have three pairs of custom orthodics. I frequently pull out whatever came with the shoes and put those in instead. These came about from having a father-in-law who was a podiatrist, however. Not everyone can be so lucky. After wearing around two versions of Spenco insoles though I think you can get pretty close to the same experience with these—for a whole lot less money.
See, for every pair of travel shoes we review here that comes with a great padded, supportive insole, there are even more than come with insoles that are an afterthought at best. They’re thin, cheaply made, and prone to falling apart or compressing over time. If you shoes are not so comfortable anymore, this may be your main problem. The best way to get a lot more life out of them is to change the insole. Suddenly they’ll feel new again.
Sometimes I toss the insoles immediately because I can tell they’re crappy. The list price of the shoe has little correlation to the quality of the insole. I’ve been trying these two from Spenco out in shoes that were either old or came with lousy insoles of their own.
Polysorb Total Support
These serious insoles pictured at the top are meant to hold up to the punishment athletes dish out. With five layers of support molded together, they’re super-supportive and have cushioning that varies to shield high-impact areas more. Part of that is an EVA layer that extends the length of the foot, plus a low-friction top cloth with anti-microbial odor protection. I’ve been wearing these between two pairs of shoes I’ve had for over a year and there’s a huge difference in the comfort, especially after miles of walking. They need to be hand washed, but at least they can be washed—unlike ones of mine that got wet a few months ago and disintegrated.
These retail for $35, which is as much as a pair of shoes in a Payless store, but of course you can use these for multiple pairs of shoes. Whether you’re a runner, a tennis player, a trade show warrior, or just a traveler who’s going to be hitting a lot of museums, your feet will thank you for this purchase. See the dealer locator at Spenco or order them from REI.
Spenco Polysorb Flow
Most of the technology that goes into shoe inserts is not very apparent except by feel. No so with these Flow Cool performance insoles. They look a bit different because they are: they’re meant to allow air to flow through and heat to dissipate so your feet stay cooler.
This sounds like some kind of infomercial gimmick, but the claim isn’t based on one single solution. There are holes in the insole to allow air to move, channels on the top and bottom to keep air from getting cut off under a squashed foot, and an EVA/magnesium oxide blended material that helps the heat dissipate. On top of that, the moisture-wicking top part is also treated with anti-odor properties.
In my tests, it worked surprisingly well. It’s not going to bring the temperature inside the shoe from 110F to 95, like there’s a miniature fan in there or something, but it did make a noticeable difference when I replaced regular insoles with these on a hot day’s walk or puttering around the house. My feet didn’t seem to sweat as much and I felt cooler. Naturally that hot air needs somewhere to go too, so these will work better in athletic shoes with a mesh upper or at least something utilizing a membrane from Gore-tex or a competitor.
If you have the reverse problem—your feet are always cold—Spenco has you covered there too. Check out this Flow Warm version.
These list for $35 too, but order the Flow Cool insoles from Zappos or Amazon and you might shave a bit off the price.
Related review: Spenco TotalSupport Sandals
Posted by Tim L. in Business Gear, General Gear on March 15th, 2012
Don’t Call Them Flip-Flops: Spenco Total Support Sandals
What would a company known for orthotic insoles do with a pair of flip-flops? Spenco took a shot at it and completely redesigned the experience. You won’t confuse these with beach flip-flops from Wal-mart, so Spenco won’t even use that term. These are “Polysorb Total Support Sandals.”
It’s not just semantics though. Your feet will feel a night and day difference as soon as you slide them into these Spenco sandals. You can easily be on your feet all day long in these and still feel good at the end of it.
Lots of people make space in their pack for a pair of flip-flops. (Julie Blakley even put them in her post on five things I always pack.) They don’t take up as much space as regular shoes or even sandals from Teva or Keen. Most cheap sandals and flip-flops are only meant for a shuffle to the beach or the shower, however. Or sitting around a beach cafe sipping cold ones—especially if you have some Reef Fanning ones with a built-in bottle opener. These Total Support ones are actually engineered to keep your feet supported and comfortable for far longer, with arch support and a deep heel cup to properly align the foot, plus “support for the lateral arch, metatarsal and medial arches to offload pressure from the ball of the foot and help relieve forefoot pain.”
I’m no podiatrist, but whatever they did it works. I’ve been wearing these around the house non-stop for a month, mostly on hardwood floors, and tested them out playing around on my asphalt driveway with a bunch of kids. These sandals are more comfortable than any shoe I wear around without custom orthotics. It’s almost like having custom orthotics actually: the grippy EVA foam top layer conforms over time to create a custom fit. They feel better, not worse, after you’ve had them a while.
There is a nice rubber outsole that absorbs impact and the strap on the top is about as comfortable as you can get with a post sticking through the space next to your big toe.
How much does all this technical innovation cost? The list price is $40, which is not bad. More than cheapo Chinese flip-flops for sure, but in line with lots of brands you find in a sporting goods store or surf shop. They come in several colors for men (like the one pictured at the top) and for women (like the one at the bottom). Follow those links for more specs and info at Spenco.com.
You can find these for sale in most places where Spenco insoles are sold, or check prices online at Amazon.
Posted by Tim L. in General Gear, Travel Light on June 9th, 2010
