OT- Any reccomendations on shoe insoles? And sweaty feet fix?

My legs get beat after a few months of new RedWing shoes and i know its because of the insole that they come in. Is it just Dr scholls? Or has anyone had luck with any other insoles brand?

My new job might not require steeltoes but if they do I need to have some longevity for my legs. Especially since I'm back at the gym.


Also anyone have sweaty feet from work boots. I cannot beat this feet scaling. My toes are prune as a raisin after a shower, after work . Idk if it's the socks or the shoes. Or the insole as well

Thanks

Get the thickest wool socks you can find. Use a red vinegar solution to soak feet in to eliminate scaling. Search for these on internet.

X 2 on that, get thick high wool content socks, cottons and synthetic fibres hold the sweat, whereas wool ''seems'' (I'm not sure of the physics) to wick it away, .....oh an I know you do but change your socks daily

Get some anti fungal etc etc etc foot powder - your pharmacist will advise when given the symptoms, ......and if you can run to it, see a podiatrist or chiropodist and get your feet ''serviced'' .the difference is amazing

Gotta look after yer plates, uncomfortable and cold etc etc etc, they're a bloody misery.

SOLE insert footbeds. they work great for me. you bake them in the oven @ 200F ,until the get pliable - then put
them in your boots and stand on them til they cool. instant podiatric custom insole .every bit worth the $30 .

also- try memory foam inserts. they have also helped my fatigued feet while standing long periods.

i like to put rolled newspaper in my boots at night to absorb moisture . baking soda helps to keep them dry
and smell fresh as well - just be sure to dump most of it out in the morning . you don't want to walk around
all day on a pile of bi-carb..... it is abrasive and high PH = cause a rash after continued contact.

Have you tried the Good Feet Store? They make custom orthotics for the masses and may have a location in your area of IL. They set up at county fairs which is how I first heard of them.

I haven't worn boots in quite a few years, but one thing I did...

Change my socks half way through the day.. Especially in the summer.
Wet squishy feet is just nasty.

Also get them off your feet as soon as you can and let your feet and boots
start drying out. I worked with a guy that left his boots at the shop,
he wouldn't even wear them home and he'd even swap into his sneakers to
take his lunch break...

Maybe keep a pair of flip flops in the truck for the ride home.

Another thing I would do, un lace my boots on the weekend and put them either on
the porch or in a sunny window to really dry out.

I also wouldn't wear socks or real shoes on the nights and weekends.. I guess sandals
would work, but seeing guys toes really skeezes me out. I had a pair of old sneakers
that I chopped a huge amount of holes in, poor mans sandles/slippers, great for wading in the river.

Don't know if this will help but the polypropylene underwear for skiing ? Man, that stuff wicks water away like nobody's business. That's how it keeps you warm. It would be easy enough to try some.

tnmgcarbide said:

SOLE insert footbeds. they work great for me. you bake them in the oven @ 200F ,until the get pliable - then put
them in your boots and stand on them til they cool. instant podiatric custom insole .every bit worth the $30 .

also- try memory foam inserts. they have also helped my fatigued feet while standing long periods.

Click to expand...

I've tried several different insoles, and I've found the SOLE brand insoles work the best for me as well. I don't do the heat to custom fit thing though. I just wear them. They will mold to your feet in a couple of days. I have low arches, doing it this way seems to give me better arch support than heating them and having my low arches flatten them out.

SeaMoss said:

Don't know if this will help but the polypropylene underwear for skiing ? Man, that stuff wicks water away like nobody's business. That's how it keeps you warm. It would be easy enough to try some.

Click to expand...

How is polypropylene underwear going to help your feet?

I hear you on both question... But brands won't help you much because of my location.
So for the safety shoes I know that either my in soles are messed up or it's time for new boots when my shins and upper legs start feeling the hammering... and then it leads to my back. I exclusively wear BOVA safety shoes (like I said brand probably won't help you) because their insoles on some of their shoes/boots are made for guys like me that do a lot of walking and standing behind machines on hard flooring. It also helps that they are made in SA.They have a bit of a cushion effect and they sell them separately for when they wear out. Can you not just buy original insoles from the manufacturers over there? I am sure that since you have a decent brand that it has to be possible. Also look for a manufacturer that sells cushioning insoles. Even get a few sets extra when you buy them. It takes me about 4 months to go through a set.

They also sell socks that are thin enough to not let my feet get too hot and are great for odor and apparently destroys bacteria (not sure if this is just sales talk). I HATE thick wool socks!! I cannot stress this more. I know that it is the norm but they do not work well for me.

The thing with sweat is a big pain of mine so a few years ago I started buying cheap foot powder that I put on the insoles in the morning and repeat about half way through the day. Has made a massive difference. Try it out... I am sure that you won't be sorry. Another thing I do open my boots up as far as possible to let them air out overnight and sometimes even take the insoles out.

I had the same problem with slimy feet, footpowder on top of my socks before going into boot, and more into boot.
I also wipe my feet down with alcohol to kill the bacteria.

Larry Dickman said:

How is polypropylene underwear going to help your feet?

Click to expand...

They make socks and glove liners, too. But the easiest way to look it up is "polypropylene ski underwear" .... I guess that's what i get for trying to make it easier

They make a huge difference in foam-in-place ski boots. There's no room in those for the thick wool sock things but polypro keeps the feet warm and DRY all day. They do that by wicking the sweat away from your body. So, do with that information whatever you wish.

I also found by accident that there is a line of New Balance shoes that they call Cush+. And they really are. But the ones I liked they quit making ... whoa. You can pull the liners right out of your wornout Cush+ and stick them into the new models, and there ya have it, new Cush+. Those are really extra-cushy comfy for me.

Altho I admit to being an amateur on the subject of shoes ....

Do you have only one pair of safety shoes (boots)? Then try and get another pair. That way they can dry out by rotating them. No clue on inserts. On socks, if you don't like wool, they do have silk sock liners or even bamboo. The poly stuff is like the Under Amour sports wear. I have those and some other sock for dancing. Also, Redwing has some socks, Merino Wool. Also, check out Carhart. They have some new socks out. Really like the two pairs I have. One is an ankle or Bobbie sock, wool.
Also, might look into turning the boot upside down to dry. possibly put a light bulb in there. I think they make a boot drying fixture.

OK, don't laugh, here it goes. This is an old ski trick I learned many years ago, now I use it for hunting and it helps huge.. Go and get some spray Antiperspirant, give yourself a good spray in the morning and it will work wonders for the sweating, plus if you really care, they will smell better. Just make sure it's not deodorant, that won't work for the sweat. For hunting I get unscented antiperspirant, which is a little hard to find.

I had a set of custom insoles made and love them. A digital scanner scans your foot, the file is sent away to the maker. The result is a hard insole with a soft top liner custom fitted to the bottom of your foot. The Dr can make notes of where to relieve pressure for special conditions and etc. Expensive, but they last for several years, my current set is 2 years old and still excellent, the previous set was 4 years old. There's a shoe repair shop here that does it for half of the podiatrist's cost, but he doesn't know what changes to make to the shape for my foot. Scanning is better than the step in the box of foam method because it reads the unloaded state of your foot. Sometimes insurance will pay the bill - get them now before the end of the year if yours will.
As a result, I wear my boots everywhere because they are more comfortable than any other shoes I have, because of the insoles. - I should get another pair of insoles so I don't have to move them around.

BTW, I gave up on RedWings, a while back - durable but made my feet hurt.

+1 on wool socks recommendation- no need to get thick stuff either. There are some great outdoor brands that make thinner, running/hiking type merino wool socks. They wick and are naturally anti-microbial, even better at keeping odor/bacteria under control than technical synthetics such as polypro. I wear these year round in all conditions, from thinner ones in AZ desert summers to thicker ones for winter hiking in the mountains. I will never go back to cotton or synthetic socks. "Darn Tough" is my favorite sock brand, they are a little pricier but last an astoundingly long time (I have pairs that have been on multiple long backpacking trips and overseas travels that still look new).

As far as insoles, I use Superfeet in work and climbing boots and like them although I don't have any preexisting foot/leg issues. They make several different types for different foot shapes. REI usually has them. It's worth trying a few different ones out, might be initially expensive but it's worth it in the long run. I have a pair of Danner boots they have absolutely transformed.

Also, not sure if this applies, but unless you absolutely need it, do not get a Gore-Tex or similar water resistant liner in your boots. They drastically cut breathability and increase sweating.

Wool socks.

Peet boot dryer.

An additional pair of boots would be beneficial so you can put on a dry pair every day.

I'd read an article about gassing shoes to cure fungus on your feet, I thought it was nitrous oxide they used, but could only find this 1931 article about placing your shoes in a sealed container with a dish of formaldehyde solution for a few days to gas the germs:

FUNGUS INFECTION OF THE FEET | JAMA Dermatology | The JAMA Network

“Sure” brand unscented antiperspirant. Works on your pits and will work on your feet. Will even work on your nether regions in the summer if you’re a chaffer.

Don't neglect warning signs from your feet. Years ago I started to get pain in my feet from standing all day long. It got progressively worse to the point that I was limping. I went to my doctor who refered me to the orthotic service. They did a great job of disagnosis by really experienced specialists mostly by observation and measurement of my gait and foot shape while standing. They made a pair of fitted othotics that took the problem away within a matter of a few days. I now have several pairs of these for safety boots, ordinary shoes etc and wear them all the time. The effect is more than just pain-free feet; I stand straighter and walk more comfortably as well. All of this was on the NHS of course- not sure how much it would cost if I had to pay for it directly - but worth every penny.