If you wear custom orthotics, read this
Why custom orthotic wearers are putting a second pair in every shoe, at a fraction of the price.
Not instead of their custom pair. Next to it, so they stop moving one pair from shoe to shoe. Here's the part of a custom orthotic that does the work, why it doesn't need a podiatrist, and why the cheaper insoles never came close.
Sound familiar?
How it usually goes
See if this is yours.
- Years agoYour feet hurt. The podiatrist cast them. The pair worked.
- Then the swappingEvery morning: which shoes are they in? Dig them out, move them over.
- Then the other shoesDress shoes, sneakers, boots. Each one needs the pair. Forget to move it, and your feet remind you by lunch.
- NowThe top is worn through. The shell has softened. A new pair costs a fortune again. Or the foot doctor has retired.
- What you've triedA drugstore "arch support" for the other shoes. It felt like nothing. Flat in weeks.
If you've ever limped around the house looking for the shoes with your orthotics in, keep reading. What makes your custom pair work isn't what you think.
What's actually happening
The mold is what you paid for. The firm shell is what works.
A custom orthotic is two things. A mold of your foot, which sets the shape. And a firm shell, which holds that shape under your full weight, all day, without flattening. The mold is the part you paid the podiatrist for. The shell is the part that stops the pain.
Try it. Press your thumb into the arch of your custom pair, then into a drugstore insole. The one that doesn't give is the one doing the work. Under your weight, your arch drops. A firm shell doesn't let it. That's the whole trick.
What a custom pair gives you, and where each piece comes from:
- A firm shell that won't flattenDoes the work. Needs no podiatrist, just firm material.
- Real arch heightEnough lift to reach the arch. Needs no podiatrist either.
- A deep heel cupKeeps the heel centered. Same again.
- Your exact foot shapeThe mold. This is the only part that needs a podiatrist, and for many feet, the part they could do without.
Drugstore insoles copy the shape in soft padding. The arch is there in the box and gone under your weight. That's why they "felt like nothing". You weren't missing the mold. You were missing the firmness.
Why what you've tried didn't work
Everything cheaper copied the shape. None of it copied the firmness.
You've probably tried most of these for the other shoes. Here's why each one helped for a while, then didn't.
Typical insoleDrugstore arch supports · $
The shape of an arch, in padding.
Stand on it and the arch flattens. A couple of weeks later it stays flat. After custom, it feels like wearing nothing.
Helps for: about a week.
"Premium" insoles · $$
A nicer top layer over the same soft arch.
Better fabric, better box, better reviews from people who've never worn custom. Under a custom-orthotic owner's expectations, still not firm enough.
Helps for: a few weeks, then "I was hoping for stronger support".
In-store scan or heat-molded · $$$
You get a mold. You still don't get a shell.
The scanner gives you the shape. The material underneath is still soft, so the shape doesn't survive the day. The part that mattered is the part they left out.
Helps for: a few months.
Another custom pair · $$$$
Some worked. Some didn't. All cost a fortune.
You know how it goes. Another fortune, another wait. One pair to move from shoe to shoe until it wears out. Then you pay again.
Helps for: until they wear out. In one pair of shoes.
"I paid $1,400 for a pair fit by a podiatrist that lasted 6 months and were gone."
Ian P., Australia
The fix
A firm shell. 1.38 inches of arch. In every shoe.
The firm shell, without the podiatrist. OrthoFlexx Max Arch Support Insoles are built around the part of a custom orthotic that does the work: an arch firm enough to hold its shape under your full weight, all day. Not molded to your foot. Firm enough that, for many feet, that's the part that was missing.
Arch Support that Doesn't Collapse.
- Arch elevation 1.38" / 3.5 cm. A real arch, higher than most off-the-shelf supports. Check it against your custom pair.
- Extra-firm arch base. Holds up to 330 lbs / 150 kg without flattening.
- Deep heel cup. Keeps the heel centered, like your custom pair does.
- A pair for every shoe. Full length, trim-to-fit. Dress shoes, sneakers, boots. Stop moving one pair around.
- Soft on top, firm underneath. Support, not a plank.
Some custom-orthotic owners say these match their pair. Some say close. A few say custom still wins for their feet. The 30 days is for finding out which you are.
See the Max Arch Support Insoles30-day money-back guarantee · Free shipping & returns
Free shipping & returns
30-day money-back guarantee
Rated 4.8/5 by 1,200+ customers
Podiatrist-approved
What a board-certified podiatrist says
"As an experienced podiatrist who also suffers from Plantar Fasciitis, I confidently recommend OrthoFlexx Max Arch Support insoles. They provide excellent support, comfort, and meet all the qualities I seek when suggesting insoles to my patients."
Dr. Elizabeth DaughtryDPM, DABFAS, FACFAS · Forbes Health Advisory Board Member
A podiatrist who could prescribe custom, and wears these herself.
From people who've owned custom orthotics
In their words, next to the pair from the podiatrist
"Finally found orthos that work as well as my 10yr old rx orthos. And a lot cheaper. Next sale I'm going to stock up so I can put one in each pair instead of limping around the house trying to remember which shoes I left them in."
Ann O., US"I have paid for custom orthotics over several years and find these to be equal to the custom result."
James G., Australia"My physio suggested I get some orthopaedic insoles, which cost me about £375. I have about 4 or 5 pairs of trainers, so I bought these for my other trainers. I find these insoles just as good if not better than my custom made ones."
Mohammed H., UK"My foot doctor retired three years ago and my custom orthotics were worn out, leaving me with foot pain. I decided to try OrthoFlexx and couldn't be happier."
Jeff F., US"I've had numerous pairs of custom orthotics. The last pair I purchased was $800. The OrthoFlexx feels very similar and is built to last longer."
Robert S., Japan"Best orthotics I've ever used. Even better than my custom orthotics from my podiatrists. The best aspect is that they hold up."
Joy G., USStraight answer
Custom vs these. What to expect.
You know what firm support feels like, so the break-in is short. Here's the honest comparison.
Days 1 to 3
Familiar, if your custom pair was firm. If yours had softened over the years, these will feel like the day you first got them.
Week 1
Most owners put them in the shoes the custom pair never reached: sneakers, dress shoes, the second pair of boots.
Where they may fall short
Very unusual feet, a very high arch, or a heel that needs a deeper cup than 1.38" of lift gives. Some custom owners still prefer their pair. If that's you, refund.
"Bought two pairs and may be back for more. For a generic support to my custom made insoles these are great value and a firmer arch, which is what I need."
Paul B., UKTwo minutes per shoe
A pair in every shoe
STEP 1
Pull out the factory insole
Most shoes have a removable insole on top. Lift it out and keep it.
STEP 2
Drop in OrthoFlexx
Trim to fit if needed, using the old one as a template.
STEP 3
Leave them in
Keep the custom pair in the shoes you wear most. Put these in the rest. Stop carrying one pair around.
What you get
OrthoFlexx Max Arch Support Insoles
One job: the firmness you paid a podiatrist for, in a pair for every shoe.
- Extra-firm arch, 1.38" / 3.5 cm elevation, holds up to 330 lbs / 150 kg
- Free shipping & free returns
- 30-day money-back guarantee, compare them to your custom pair
- HSA / FSA accepted
Wear them next to your custom pair for 30 days. If they don't measure up, send them back.
Worn, every day, in your own shoes. If they flatten, or your feet need the mold after all, full refund. No awkward questions.
Your feet should feel right in every shoe you own.
The firm shell was the point. It never needed to cost a fortune, or live in one pair of shoes. In one customer's words: "as good as my custom orthotics".
See the Max Arch Support Insoles
Free shipping & returns · 30-day money-back guarantee · HSA/FSA accepted