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Shock Doctor Ultra Custom Footbed
Initial Report - December 9, 2004
Tester Information:
Name: Jason Boyle
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 6"/ 1.68 m
Weight: 170 lb/ 77 kg
Email address: c4jc"at" hotmail "dot" com
City, State, Country: Waldorf, Maryland, U.S.
Backpacking Background
I have been camping and backpacking for about 16 years. My introduction to the outdoors started with the BSA and has continued as an adult. I have hiked mostly in the Southeastern and Northeastern United States. I currently live near Washington D.C. and have made the mid-Atlantic mountains my playground. I used to carry everything and the kitchen sink, but I have become a lightweight hiker.
I have been wearing orthodic inserts for the past two plus years. I have a custom insert made for my work shoes and have been using Superfeet insoles in my running and casual shoes.
Product Information:
Manufacturer: Shock Doctor
Model: Ultra Custom Footbed
Size: Men's 8-9, they have multiple sizes listed on their website
Year of Manufacture: 2004
URL:www.shockdr.com
Listed weight: none provided
Measured weight: 5.5 oz (156 g) for the pair
MSRP: $49.95 US
Product Description:
These custom footbeds have 8 separate features/functions:
"Metatarsal Dome - Metatarsal dome fills the mid-foot cavity, anchoring the foot comfortably while relaxing the mid- foot and toes. Helps relieve Plantar Fasciitis pain." This is the bright red piece in the middle of the bottom picture below.
"I-Shock - Heel shock pad absorbs over 90% of impact shock." These are the blue pieces in the bottom picture below.
"Motion Control with Control Bar - Integral CONTROL BAR links the lateral and medial sides of the heel cradle, arch, and mid-foot support platform. The CONTROL BAR regulates the medial deflection, increasing support, stabilizing the foot and controlling pronation." This is the gray piece on the bottom of the picture below.
"SR FOAM - Provides an instant conforming top surface that recovers after every use and re-forms to the foot's contour at every wearing." This is the red lining on the top of the insole on the picture below.
"Adaptive Arch - Full-length flexible support bridge adapts to the natural shape of your skeletal structure, and reduce foot and joint stress." This is the gray piece on the left side of the insole in the picture below.
"Moisture & Friction Control - AIR/FX advanced moisture management and friction reducing top cover improves comfort and controls odor."
"Shock Dome Technology - SHOCKDOMES and forefoot energy return composite materials actively absorb impact to reduce foot fatigue and joint pain." This is not really visible from my picture below, but there is a little hump in the foam next to the Adaptive Arch.
"Heel Cup - Deep cradle stabilizes the heel and helps reduce bone spurs."
Claim on cardboard packaging insert:
"State of the art shock absorbing and bio-mechanical design stabilizes and supports the foot in a natural position. Reduces foot, leg, and lower back pain"
Initial Impressions/Use:
The insoles arrived in a Tyvek-shipping envelope. The insoles are packaged in a heavy plastic zippered bag as shown below.
These insoles are pretty cool. The padding on them is very thick compared to other insoles I have used. I pulled them out of the package and squeezed the foam on the toe and the foam bounced right back, and I thought to myself "sweet!!" I do have a concern about the thickness of these insoles because the fit of some of my shoes is pretty tight. So far, I have tried them in the following shoes and noted how they fit:
Brooks Adrenaline, size 10 US (44 EUR), the insoles fit well in these shoes and feel natural and comfortable. I have used the insoles running this week in this shoe and they have felt comfortable.
LL Bean Leather Comfort Mocs, size 9 (EUR 42.5) , these are my casual everyday shoes when I am not wearing athletic shoes and the insoles do not feel right in these. I have tried wearing the Shock Doctor insoles in these for a day and my feet never felt right and I have gone back to another insole in these shoes.
I have not trimmed the insoles to fit, just used them as delivered. There are trimming lines to help with trimming the insoles if needed.
Website:
The Shock Doctor website was very informative and easy to use. They offer three choices of connection speed, which I find considerate even though I have a cable modem connection. The website was easy to use and accurately displayed the insole that I would be receiving.
Testing Plan:
I will wear these insoles exclusively in my running and casual shoes. I have 5 different pairs of shoes I run in and constantly rotate them as they accumulate mileage. I currently run in the following shoes: Nike Teocalli XCR, Nike Air Cascades, Saucony Xtrerra, NB 731, and Brooks Adrenaline. Some of the characteristics I will look for are:
Durability:
How durable are the insoles overall? In 6 months there is potential that I could put 500 plus miles on the insoles. Will they still be in usable condition at the end of that time? My main concern is the SR Foam and whether it will continue to maintain its elasticity after that much use.
Fit:
How much trimming is required to properly fit the insole? Are they easy to trim? Can they be trimmed so that they fit well in both running shoes and casual shoes? (I don't wear boots.)
Feel:
I have to wear orthodics or I experience all kinds of arch pain when I am active on my feet. Will these orthodics continue to allow my feet to function properly when running/hiking? Will they relieve some of the foot fatigue I normally experience at the end of a long run/hike?
Smell/Wetness:
How well does the moisture control section really work? I have some smelly feet after an extended hike/run. Same question with the wetness control area of the insole. Does it really work or is it just a marketing ploy?
Thanks again to BackpackGearTest.org and Shock Doctor for the opportunity to participate in this test.
Read more reviews of Shock Doctor gear
Read more gear reviews by Jason Boyle
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