Every hiker knows that the best experiences can quickly turn bad when you don’t take care of your body.
One of the best ways to prevent injury and avoid fatigue on hiking trails is to wear good supportive insoles in your hiking boots.
CushiFix™ insoles are the best insoles for hiking boots because they provide stability and all-day comfort.
Our hiking insoles help reduce strain and fight fatigue.
Climbing up and down mountains, or even just putting in a high number of steps in a single day, puts a lot of strain on your feet and knees.
CushiFix™ insoles feature a deep heel cup and flexible arch support. This keeps your feet aligned and avoids injuries as well as foot-, knee- and back pain.
The deep heel cup prevents your feet from sliding around inside your boots and your toes hitting the fronts.
Calves are less prone to get tired and you have more energy.
CushiFix™ unique design mapped bases also flex with your foot’s natural motion while still giving you the support you need.
This means our insoles aren’t stopping your feet from moving and working as nature intended. Instead, they’re helping your feet do the work you’re asking of them, naturally.
We use premium materials to guarantee our insoles keep their shape and deliver unsurpassed comfort of miles to come.
Have you ever gotten the stinky eye after taking your boots after a hike? Fortunately, so do a lot of people. But not hikers with CushiFix™ insoles.
The lightweight foam is covered with 4-way stretch fabric that both prevents blisters and controls odor.
Should I put inserts in my hiking boots?
Insoles for hiking boots not only protect your feet but also your knees, hip, and spine. Your body is a complex system that starts at your feet. Every day, your feet carry you around.They are in charge of balancing and supporting your whole body. Your feet cushion your weight all day - often on uneven pavement, steep inclines, challenging hiking trails.
One day's worth of walking puts a lot of total weight on your feet -- an amount equal to a few hundred tons by the time you finally go to bed at night.
Your feet are your body’s foundation. It makes sense to keep them healthy for overall health.
When you are on your feet all day hiking your feet need proper cushioning and traction.
Unfortunately most shoes have completely flat insoles that are not only ineffective, but they actually pamper the problem.
Adding insoles for hiking boots avoids foot pain and can also have a positive effect on knees and back too.
How do you choose insoles for boots?
Insoles should be rigid enough to provide good arch support when you press down the arch with your thumb.
Insoles that have too high arch support can be uncomfortable and hurtful. In case you’ve worn orthotics before you can go for a more aggressive arch support.
Follow these 4 tips to find the right insole for your boots:
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Size
When looking for insoles to buy you might have noticed that most insole brands have sizing denoted as a shoe size range. CushiFix™ for example: Men’s M (9-11.5). This type of insoles is called “trim to fit”. You can customise your insoles to make sure they have the perfect level of fit for your individual shoe.
Take out the original insole and align it with new insoles for your boots. Always align insoles from the heel. Use a pen to trace around the original insole and start trimming after.
We recommend using a sharp pair of kitchen scissors, as insoles are often made of hardwearing material that can be tough to cut.
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Do I need to take out the original insole?
If you bought full-length insoles then you need to remove the original insoles before using the new ones. They are meant to be a permanent replacement for the insoles that came with your shoes.
In case the insoles are very thin you can place them on top of the old insoles.
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Arch Type
First you should identify which type of foot you have to determine which kind of arch support you need:
A) neutral or medium arches
B) low arches, flat feet, or fallen arches
C) high arches
Typically every insole is designed to work specifically for one of the listed arch types.
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Material
Usually insoles are made of these 4 materials: gel, cork, foam, and/or leather. Each material has positive and negative aspects and it comes down to which material makes you feel good. In general, foam works best for cushioning, support, and pressure relief; gel is great for shock absorption; cork can be your choice for support and slight cushion; and leather works well for cushion.
Is memory foam good for hiking boots?
We don’t recommend memory foam insoles for hiking. They are better suited to people who spend long periods of time standing in one place.
Memory foam doesn’t always last – Some hikers find that the memory foam will fade out over time. CushiFix™ insoles for example do not lose their shape and the arch support does not flatten over time.
Hiking puts a lot of strain on your feet and memory foam might not be durable enough. The polyurethane material isn't dense, and it might not last very long. Lack of support several memory foam insoles are built without support for the arch or support for the heel.
Another important factor is the thickness of memory foam insoles. They tend to be bigger than other insoles and therefore can make your shoes too tight and uncomfortable to walk in.
How often should you replace insoles in hiking boots?
Cheap insoles cost between $5 - $20 and, may be supportive for a week or even a month, they flatten fast and must be replaced more often, which in the end will cost more than premium quality insoles.
Softer insoles also tend to wear out quickly and need replacing every 1 – 6 months.
It also depends on how much miles you put them through.
The more you hike the quicker they wear down.
Also if your insoles show the following sign, it’s time for a switch:
- Damage: Torn, cracked, etc., which can cause blisters.
- Fading: Color and logo.
- Smell: Indicates bacteria or fungal growth, which can lead to foot infections.
- Cushion: Constant wear will eventually flatten insoles and no longer offer cushioning and support.
Is arch support good for hiking?
The weight you carry further puts pressure on the feet, flattening your arches further, making your feet hurt. Adding arch support and stabilization to your hiking boots will make a huge difference. Off the shelf most boots only have flat, non-supportive insoles that don’t provide any value. Walking on rough, uneven terrains puts a strain on your feet, knees, hip and back.
Tired feet, blisters and foot fatigue indicate that your hiking boots can’t keep up and are not providing the support you need.
Should there be toe room in hiking boots?
If your boots are too tight and your toes have no room to wiggle it’s very likely you get blisters. Pressure, heat, and moisture are the leading culprits that cause blisters.
More room for your toes will be more comfortable on longer hikes as your feet swell.
To test if there’s enough toe room in your boots, slide your foot forward so your toes are just touching the end of the unlaced boot.
In a properly fitting boot, you should be able to get roughly one finger between your heel and the back of the boot.
While a slight movement of the foot is allowed, under no circumstance should you be able to slide your feet in the boot itself when it’s laced up.