The Spenco website is easy to navigate, but does not offer much detail regarding the Backpacker footbeds. One handy piece of information included is the size conversions for UK and European shoe sizes.

The footbeds come in a somewhat bulky cardboard box, with a blue (non-climbing) carabineer for retailers to use to hang the box on a rack.

The Backpacker Footbeds are designed for people carrying 25+ pounds (11 kg) for one or more days. The top cloth is a material designed to wick moisture away, preventing blisters. On the bottom of the insole is a stabilizer that is made of a hard plastic that is slightly flexible. One thing that is not discernable in the photo above (taken from the back of the box) is that the black heel cushion is slightly taller than the blue cushions. The black heel cushion feels a little stiffer than the blue ones, but I can't tell if it is a denser foam than the blue, or if the stiffness is due to the greater thickness, since sticks out further than the rest of the pads. The black corrugated foam at the metatarsal/toe region is softer than the other pads, and feels to be about the same stiffness as the base of the insole. TThe corrugated black pad and the fabric on the top side of the footbed have holes through them. I could not find an explanation on the box or the website to define the purpose of the black metatarsal cushion, or the holes.

Other features that are not defined are a dark grey strip of foam on the bottom of the footbed, and a cushion in the cuneiform area of the foot (the area right before the metatarsal, when moving from heel to toe). The grey strip on the bottom feels slightly stiffer than the footbed foam itself, and has a patterned surface that is slightly less slick that the light grey of the base material. The only function I can think of this pad performing is to help prevent the insole from slipping inside the boot, since none of my toes reach past the metatarsal pad. The cuneiform cushion appears to be just that, another cushion that was added to the 'top' side to add additional support in this area.

The un-cushioned light grey area above the metatarsal pad is shown on the box as part of the PolySorb Shox system, though it isn't clear to me what function that area serves since my toes don't reach that far.

On the 'top' side of the heel area is a decorative decal of a person on a peak, overlooking a cloud-filled valley. The decal appears to be made of a material that is textured enough to prevent my heel from slipping at this spot.

Overall, this is the most complex looking footbed I have seen.

Overall, the footbeds appear to be well made. The stabilizer and all the cushions are firmly glued to the base, as is the top cloth. The cloth has some minor fraying at the edges, though from my experience this is normal with cloth-covered insoles. The left insole looks to have everything perfectly in place, but the black heel cushion on the right insole is about 1 mm (.04") higher than the same cushion on the left insole, with a non-coated portion of the cushion showing. I don't know if this will affect how my heel feels or how the pad wears over time, but after wearing them in my regular (day hiking) shoes for a day, I didn't notice any difference. The holes in the metatarsal pad of the right insole are slightly misaligned, and one hole still has the 'plug', but I doubt this will affect the performance of the insole.

I've found that I didn't need to trim the insoles to fit into my women's 7.5 New Balance shoes or my women's 8 Dunham boots. There appears to be plenty of room at the toe end to trim the insole if needed.

In my shoes, the insoles take up a fair amount of space. I tried on the shoes with my thick socks and liners. Though it wasn't an overly tight fit, I think that if my feet started to swell during a hike it might be too tight for comfort. With my normal socks (which I use almost exclusively in my hiking shoes anyway), I don't think I will have any problems with foot space.

With my boots, the insoles allow enough room for my socks and liners, with some room left to allow for the swelling of my poor, abused feet after a long day on the trail.

I've tried the insoles in both shoes and boots, and could tell from the beginning that they added a very slight 'spring' to my step. All the pads fit comfortably in the initial try-on, though the arch supports feel like they extend a tad too far toward the heels of my feet. Walking around the house has not revealed this to be a problem yet, but is definitely something I will look out for when I have a pack on my back.

I estimate my pack weight to be about 35 lbs (16 kg), including water, for overnighters and two night trips. This weight is well above the 'minimum' 25 lbs/11.3 kg listed on the box. My trips will be in Michigan's lower peninsula, with the terrain varying from relatively flat to moderately hilly, with plenty of tree roots and rocks tossed in to boot. Daily mileages will probably be from 6 to 10 miles (10-16 km), with weather ranging from 40-85 F (4-29 C) and from sunny to rainy. I plan to monitor how the insoles feel on different terrains, and if they offer any additional protection if I end up stepping on a rock or root that would otherwise cause a small shock to my foot.

In addition to backcountry testing, I will wear the insoles in my day hiking shoes (which double as my everyday footwear) each day for the duration of the test to help monitor long-term wear and tear on the insoles.

Good Points:
These insoles feel very sturdy and supportive of my feet. Everything appears to be well glued, and the pads add a bit of spring to my step

Possible Problems:
The only areas of concern I have so far are that the arch support feels like it extends too close to my heel, and that on the right insole the black heel cushion appears to be a little 'taller' than it should.

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 > Initial Report