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Shock Doctor Ultra Custom
Footbed Field Test Report
February 10, 2005
Thomas Vickers
37 years old
Male
5 ft 11 in tall (1.8 m)
183 lb (77 kg)
redroach@pobox.com
Southeast Texas, Houston Area
Tester Background:
I grew up in
the piney woods of southeast Texas. Camping was a quick trip into the mosquito-infested
woods behind the house. My style has evolved
and over the last 4 or 5 years, I have begun to take a lighter weight approach to hiking
gear (I still use sleeping bags and tents, just lighter versions). While I have flirted with lightweight hiking, I feel that I am
more of a mid-weight hiker now. My philosophy is one of comfort, while carrying the
lightest load possible
Manufacturer Information:
Manufacturer: Shock Doctor
Website: http://www.shockdoc.com
Weight: NA
Sizes available: Men's 4-13, Women's 5-13
MSRP: $ 49.99 US
Features:
Motion Control with Control Bar
Matarsal Dome
I-Shock heel shock pad
Heel Cup
Shockdome Technology
Adaptive Arch
Moisture and Friction Control
SR Foam
Information from Tester:
Left insole weight: 3.90 oz (111 gm)
Right insole weight: 4.05 oz (115 gm)
Total weight: 7.95 oz (226 gm)
Size: Men's 9.5 - 10.5
Shoe size of tester: 10.5
Testing Location/Conditions:
These footbeds have been tested in South East Texas during the winter months.
Temperatures so far have ranged from 30 F to 75 F (-1 C to 24 C).
I have experienced everything from snow to pouring rain during this phase of the test.
Little or no altitude.
Testing Activities:
Day hikes and weekend hiking/camping trips
Daily biking
Jogging
Daily wear at work (teaching)
Let the testing begin:
The first thing I did was pull my old insoles out of my work shoes (Sketchers lace-up
shoes) and prepare for the worst. I figured that my feet were going to ache for a
few days as the insoles and feet became better acquainted. Boy was I wrong on that
one. Not one ache or pain in my poor little misformed feet. After my first week of
daily wear I pulled the Shock Doctor Ultra Custom Footbeds out of my work shoes and saw
that they had already formed to fit my feet. They had very noticeable depressions were my
toes pushed into the footbed material as well as a raised area in the center of my arch
where I need the most support. I was very impressed by the fact that no heating or
custom fitting was needed. The footbeds formed themselves to my feet without any
fuss. Most importantly, my feet are still happy, which means I am happy.
Over the next few weeks the footbeds jumped to different pairs of shoes. This is a quick
process that only takes a few seconds to pull them out of one pair and stuff them into the
next pair. While I find the fit acceptable in my work shoes (they are fairly wide),
the Shock Doctor Ultra Custom Footbeds seem to fit best in my hiking boots and athletic
shoes. These two pairs of footwear tend to be a bit narrower than my work shoes and
the footbeds fit very snuggly in them without having to be trimmed.
One thing that I wanted to see was if the footbeds would be 'slippery' with different
kinds of socks. I have worn cotton socks, Coolmax liner socks, synthetic-blend
hiking socks, and a combination of the preceding. No slipping has happened.
One pair of socks (hiking) are Coolmax and make my feet sweat quite a bit in certain
situations. Even when wearing these socks (sweaty feet and all) there is no slippage
on the top of the footbeds. The top material of the footbed grips all types of
materials and doesn't allow my feet to slide around no matter what the conditions are
inside of the shoe.
On to other things:
I have been able to carry out a variety of activities with these footbeds. As with
most gear, sooner or later it runs into me and my stupidity. The Shock Doctor Ultra
Custom Footbeds encountered this situation during a recent rainstorm (downpour is a better
description). I had just started my daily bike ride (45 minutes long) when the sky
opened up and the deluge began. I was wearing my athletic shoes with the footbeds in
them as I continued on with my ride, despite the rain. After about 20 minutes my
shoes, socks and footbeds were soaked. At the end of the full 45 minutes my feet
were so wet, the water was squishing around inside my shoes. After returning home
and removing all of my wet clothes I took the shoes I had been wearing into the laundry
room and pulled out the footbeds. They were soaked (I actually poured some water out
of the shoes) and definitely staying home from work if they weren't dry in time. I
didn't take any special actions like wringing or squeezing them to remove water. Instead,
I placed them on the dining room table (much to the delight of my wife) and left them to
dry naturally. Approximately 10 hours later they were dry. Not just "dry enough
to wear" but dry to the touch. They were back in my shoes in time for my morning run
even though my shoes were only "dry enough to wear". So just a few hours
at about 68 F (20 C) and these footbeds were ready for action.
One last thing to cover in this report and that is odor. For some reason odor seems
to be a reoccurring theme with my hiking gear and myself. This is no different for this
test. I have worn the Shock Doctor Ultra Custom Footbeds everyday during the field test.
If I have not worn them all day, I have at least worn them for several hours. They
have participated in everything from standing around to jogging and hiking. My feet have
sweated on them and it has rained on them. I have not allowed them to
'breathe' outside of my shoes except for the time they were wet and needed drying. I
can proudly report that despite my best attempts to corrupt them with some insidious odor,
they have not succumbed. The footbeds may not smell like roses, but they most
definitely do not smell like rancid feet. This part of the test is most definitely a
success.
To finish things up I should probably add that I have hiked distances up to 12 miles (19
km) at a stretch and spent 12 + hours a day with these footbeds. Using them
constantly has let me know that they are supporting my feet and legs very well. If I
carried out the same activity schedule without footbeds then there would be considerable
pain in my life. Just one afternoon with shoes lacking some sort of custom footbed
and I am not a happy person. If the Shock Doctor Ultra Custom Footbeds were not
supporting my feet, then I would have known as soon as the test began. I probably wouldn't
have even left them in past the first two weeks if they hadn't formed themselves so
quickly and easily and provided the support I need.
So I guess in closing, these footbeds have worked very well for me so far. I was a
bit skeptical about "off the shelf" footbeds that weren't custom fitted.
The Shock Doctor Ultra Custom Footbeds have shown me that there is a product that I can
grab off the shelf at a moment's notice and use with great success.
What remains to be seen?
1. Can the footbeds be washed/cleaned?
2. Wear them every day and see what else can happen?
3. Will they hold up to everyday use?
Likes:
Fit in all my shoes
They are very comfortable and
Formed quickly and painlessly to my feet
Dislikes:
Bright colors
Read more reviews of Shock Doctor gear
Read more gear reviews by Thomas Vickers
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