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Shock Doctor
Ultra Custom Footbed Long Term Report
June 1, 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 90 F (-1 C to 32 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)
Wear and Tear:
I have worn the Shock Doctor Ultra Custom Footbeds every day of the
test period. Whether I was running, biking, teaching, mowing, or hiking they saw at
least an hour of use every day, most often though, it was several hours. They were
switched repeatedly between three different types of footwear (hiking boots, athletic
shoes, casual shoes) and subjected to water, heat, and lots of rough terrain. Since
my last report I averaged about 8 miles (13 km) a week jogging with these footbeds as
well. In short, I have done everything that I can think of to wear out these
footbeds. There are no stains or horrible odors apparent with my pair of footbeds.
The fabric which covers the top of the footbeds has worn away in a small, dime-sized area
near the heal area of the right footbed, but this isn't real damage, just normal wear in
my view. It hasn't affected the performance of the footbeds in any way so far. The
only real problem I have is that the gray piece on the bottom of the left insole (this
portion of the insole cups the heel and runs along the bottom, interior side of the
insole) is separating from the rest of the insole assembly. I don't feel that this
is a real durability issue, but more of a handling issue. This problem has only surfaced
as I pulled the footbeds from my shoes several times a day and it appears to be caused by
the way I grab the insole by the heal and yank it out of my shoes. The right insole
has not shown this problem at all which is why I tend to believe that it is a handling
issue instead of a manufacturing defect of some sort. Once again this has not impacted
performance in any manner. It just makes me more careful of the footbeds when I move them
between shoes.
Comfort:
I wear footbeds because without them my feet hurt, legs hurt, my lower back hurts, and my
toes hurt. Flat feet seems to be my complaint and I just can't bear to be on my feet
without some kind of support. Trying a new brand of insole is a risk that I am not
willing to take in my everyday life. My worst fear was that the Shock Doctor Ultra
Custom Footbeds were going to cause the pain to come back. If that had been the case then
it was going to be a short test for me. I just don't like to suffer enough to justify an
ongoing experiment in pain. I can now happily report that these footbeds met my
comfort test. Despite taking up jogging for the first time in several years, these
footbeds did not let me return to my early days of foot and leg pain. They molded
quickly to my feet and provided me with excellent comfort and support. It did not
matter if I was hiking (which tends to leave my feet in my boots for long hours) or
teaching (which leaves me on my feet for long hours) these footbeds kept me going.
Best of all, the comfort didn't go away. No matter how long I wore them or how much
activity I subjected myself too, the Shock Doctor Ultra Custom Footbeds have held me up as
well as held together.
Final thoughts:
Most people probably don't understand my excitement about footbeds, especially ones like
the Shock Doctor Ultra Custom Footbeds, but let me try and explain. First, they keep
me from hurting. This means they support my poor tired feet and keep me from suffering.
Not only do they do this rather well in a wide variety of situations, but they are easy to
use. I can walk into a store, purchase the Shock Doctor footbeds, tear open the package,
put them in my boots, and within a few days they have formed to fit my feet. There is no
special process needed to form them nor is a doctor's visit needed to get the fit correct.
They work from the first moment I can get them into my shoes and keep on working.
This translates to easy to use and comfortable.
I honestly thought I would wear out these footbeds. The test period
fell during a time that I increased my outdoor activity level by a great deal. To my
surprise, they held up. I really have not had complaints about these footbeds. They do
what they are advertised to do and they do it well.
Likes:
1. Ease of use
2. Comfort
3. Durability
Dislikes:
1. Bright colors
Read more reviews of Shock Doctor gear
Read more gear reviews by Thomas Vickers
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