Reviews > Footwear > Footbeds and Insoles > Archmolds Maximum Shoe Inserts > Bob Sanders > Field Report

Field Report: Archmolds Maximum Custom Insoles

Date: 9-26-06

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Name: Bob Sanders
Age: 49
Gender: Male
Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight: 190 lb (81.6 kg)
Email: sherpabob(at)mac(dot)com
City: Boulder, Colorado USA

Backpacking Background: I went on my first backpacking trip as a Boy Scout at the age of 16. Over the years I have hiked the Wonderland Trail in Washington and section hiked parts of the Florida Trail and the Appalachian Trail. In 2003 during a seven week period I hiked 740 mi (1191 km) of the Pacific Crest Trail. Best vacation I ever took. I continue to backpack and hike year round in the Colorado mountains. I have evolved from a heavyweight backpacker to a lightweight backpacker. My three day summer solo adventures (using a hammock) have me hovering around a 12 lb (6.8 kg) base weight.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

Manufacturer: Archmolds, LLC
Year of Manufacture: 2006
Manufacturer Website: www.archmolds.com
Size: Men's 11-11.5 US
Listed Weight: N/A
Measured Weight: 5 oz. per pair (141 g)
Color: Blue
MSRP: US $37.95

From the Archmolds website:
Designed for footwear with removable insoles. Archmolds Maximum comes with 3mm of Polyurethane cushioning for maximum shock absorption.
• Elimination of foot, leg, hip and back pain through proper body alignment
• Prevent injuries as people age, become more active, or change their lifestyle.
• Experience comfort while standing, walking, or running.
• Personalization, yet still offering support in the lateral, medial, and heel arch areas.
• Improve balance by evenly distributing weight.
• Deep supportive heal cup
• Anatomically correct arch
• Heat moldable sub layer
• 120 day warranty
• Antibacterial Nano Silver in top layer kills bacteria that causes odor

For a complete description of my first impressions and the heat molding process please read my Initial Report.

FIELD REPORT

Test Locations:

The Archmold Maximum Insoles have been tested in a wide variety of locations throughout the Colorado Front Range and central Rocky Mountains. During the 2 months of testing the temperature has ranged from 93° F (34° C) to 60° F (15° C) during the day and from 65° F (18° C) to 42 ° F (6° C) at night.

I have used the Archmolds quite a bit. I inserted them into a pair of New Balance 1022 running shoes and have left them there. I have used these shoes, with the insoles, almost everyday if even for only a couple of hours. Between daily fitness walks, weekend hikes and two overnight backpacks I have put alot of miles on these insoles. I would estimate over 100 miles. I have walked on asphalt, groomed trails and rocky trails above treeline.

I have completed 6 weekend hikes and two backpacking trips in the Rocky Mountain National Park, and the Indian Peaks Wilderness areas. Elevations have been between 6000 - 9000 ft (1829 - 2743 m). There has been no rain so far.

Test Criteria:

1. Comfort/Support - I love these insoles. My feet have been comfortable and well supported. The insoles take up more room inside my shoes but after a couple of relacings they seem to have settled in with very little additional fussing. Previous to using the insoles my feet and knees would be sore at the end of a 10+ mile (16+ km) hike or backpack. I now find that using the insoles has greatly reduced the soreness. I believe that the soreness comes from the fact that I'm getting older and I don't recover as quickly. The addition of the insoles has made hiking and backpacking much more enjoyable and fun again.

2. Durability - The durability has been excellent. They seem to be in better shape than the shoes they are in. Still plenty of cushion and the fabric top surface is still intact.

3. Smell Factor - To be honest with you I don't routinely smell my footwear. But for the sake of an accurate test I took the plunge, so to speak. To my pleasent surprise the smell factor on a scale of 1-10 was about a 2. The insoles also seem to dry very quickly. On one backpacking trip I left the insoles inside my shoes at night and in the morning the insoles were dry. On other occasions I have removed my shoes during a mid-day break and my feet are usually quite sweaty. I removed the insoles and in less than an hour they were dry. For me, dry feet means less blisters and since using the Archmolds I have had none.

Overall I am very pleased with the Archmold Insoles. So far I have no negatives to report.

I would like to thank both BackpackerGearTest and Archmolds for the opportunity to test these insoles.

Reviews > Footwear > Footbeds and Insoles > Archmolds Maximum Shoe Inserts > Bob Sanders > Field Report