I have used these footbeds in my New Balance trail shoes for dayhikes and general daily use, and in my Dunham Wafflestomper Paramounts for backpacking trips. I've worn the footbeds nearly every day for two months.

The first time I walked several miles straight with the insoles was about a week after I received them. For the first time since we moved to our current house, we were in town for the Woodward Dream Cruise - one of the largest 'events' in the United States for classic and muscle car buffs and owners. Since my husband and I live less than a mile from Woodward Avenue, we decided to walk over and enjoy the show. The terrain consisted of city sidewalks, with no discernable slope. After walking for about two miles (3.2 km) my feet started to feel sore. This was in my tried-and-true shoes that I've taken for miles/kilometers on both trail and city street with little if any discomfort from the insoles provided by the manufacturer.

I think part of my discomfort might have been that the insoles were still very new, and didn't get more than a few miles total break-in time before I went on my urban trek. I have not noticed any fatigue from everyday use, and after a few weeks I didn't notice any discomfort after dayhiking on an almost weekly basis.

I took the Backpacker footbeds on my overnighter on the Manistee River Trail/North Country Trail loop, in Michigan's lower peninsula. My pack weight was about 35 pounds (16 kg). The trail is approximately 20 miles (32 km), with some moderate slopes. I used them in my Paramount boots, and by the end of the trip my feet felt about the same as when I hiked the Jordan River Pathway (another Michigan hike) with the insoles provided by the manufacturer. My feet were a bit on the sore side, which was the reason I had been looking for a good pair of insoles in the first place. After the first day of hiking, my feet were not quite back to 100% by the next morning, and they were still a bit sore the day after I completed the hike.

On a two-night trip to the Nordhouse Dunes in Michigan I hiked about 4 miles (6 km) each day, the middle day being mostly a day trip without my full pack. The first day I was hiking partially on sandy trails up and down the dunes, and partially along the sand beach. The other two days I mainly hiked along the beach. On this trip I didn't notice any fatigue, though my distance was shorter and the terrain a little lower-impact than the majority of my hikes. When I hiked on the beach, I usually stayed close to the water, where the sand provided more of a stable surface. As a result, I ended up having a few waves come in closer than I anticipated, and ended up with water inside my boots. The soaking didn't appear to affect performance. I left the insoles inside my boots both nights, and they were still a little damp the next morning.

I know that the soreness is not just my feet or the boots since I had a recent 12-night trip to Isle Royale that averaged around 6 miles/10 km a day with some formidable slopes and quite a bit of trekking over exposed rock. Though the mileage was less per day than on the Manistee River trip, my pack was considerably heavier for the bulk of the trip (I started out at 50 pounds/23 kg), and the terrain was quite a bit tougher on my feet. On that trip I had brought a pair of gel-type insoles, and any discomfort I did feel at the end of the day was alleviated by a quick dunk in a lake. I am beginning to think that gel-type insoles might be the best bet to keep my feet happy since I had the same problem regarding soreness with another non-gel insole marketed for backpacking use.

Please see the "Trying Them on for Size" section in my Initial Report for more details on how the footbeds fit into my current footwear. I have not encountered any problems with lack of space in my dayhiking shoes (as long as I use my everyday 'gym' socks) or with my sock-and-liner configuration in my hiking boots (the boots are a US half size larger, and are wider than my shoes).

The pictures above show how the insoles have taken quite a bit of use and abuse already. The first thing to show wear was the decal, but I wasn't too worried about that since it was purely decorative. A "footprint" of dirt/sweat/who-knows-what has been fused into the fabric, and my toes have created indentations in the foam. The picture on the right shows the fabric starting to wear away from the upper heel portion of the footbed. This wear might be at least partially attributed to my bad habit of sliding my feet into and out of my shoes without untying them, a habit that also wears a hole in the back of my shoes. I think the fabric does a good job of holding together, and the worn material does not appear to contribute significantly to further fabric failure (unlike 'runs' in nylon pantyhose or other delicate materials). Around the perimeter of the footbed, the fabric is a little frayed, but in no apparent danger of the problem shown in the heel.

One thing I have noticed is that the fabric on the Backpacker footbeds is very good at retaining dog hair. We have a beagle mix, and her hair can get into almost ANYTHING. The majority of her hair can be removed using masking tape, but there are always a few strands that work themselves into the fabric so well that I would have to remove them with tweezers if I wanted them out. Usually I just remove whatever I can with the tape and leave the rest alone. Though dog hair has not been a comfort issue, I do like to 'dust off' my footbeds every now and then to get rid of all the junk that accumulates in them.

Now I get to the part of the report I was a little…..hesitant….to verify. After two months of use, the footbeds do not have a strong odor when held a few inches (about 5 cm) from my nose. Actually, I have to put the footbeds right *under* my nose to pick up an odor at all. I can tell that it is foot odor, but even at point-blank range it is not anywhere near strong enough to make me gag.

All the various pads are still safely secured to the footbed, with no signs of delaminating. Aside from where my toes have indented the foam, there does not appear to be any warping or deforming of the footbed. Overall, the Backpacker seems to have held together pretty well.

What I Like:
1. Given the complexity of construction, the footbeds have stayed together surprisingly well. They really appear to be well-made.
2. After two months of almost daily use they don't smell bad.

What I Don't Like:
1. Personally, I can't feel the difference in performance between these footbeds and the ones provided in my shoes and boots by the manufacturers. They do provide more arch support, though I don't think that this is necessarily what my feet need.

I would like to thank Spenco and BackpackGearTest.org for the chance to try out these intriguing new insoles.

Reviews > Footwear > Footbeds and Insoles > Spenco OAS Backpacker > Becki Stacy > Field Report