Long-Term Report:
Spenco OAS Backpacker Footbeds

Date: January 10, 2005

Product Information   Product Tested: Spenco Outdoor Adventure Series Backpacker Footbeds Manufacturer: Spenco Medical Corp. Manufacturer Website: http://www.spenco.com Year of Manufacture: 2005 Sizes Available: Spenco Footbed sizes 0-6 fit the full range of men’s and women’s sizes (sizing chart on the Spenco website) Size Tested: 5 (fits men’s U.S. size 12-13) Weight Listed: none Weight as Delivered: 6.1 oz (173 g); right footbed is 2.9 oz (82 g), left footbed is 3.2 oz (91 g) Warranty: One-year unconditional MSRP: $30.

Spenco OAS Backpacker Footbeds when new,  top side (left), bottom side (right).

Product Description
According to the Spenco website, “the Spenco® Outdoor Adventure Series is a new line of footbeds that are designed specifically for the needs of outdoor enthusiasts. The unique combination of stability and cushioning provides the outdoor enthusiasts with the benefits needed to experience more – more comfortably.” The Spenco® Backpacker model “is for outdoor enthusiasts that are carrying heavy packs over unpredictable terrain for multiple days at a time. This intensity of outdoor participation needs a footbed with extra cushioning, support and the additional benefit of motion control to help you experience more – more comfortably.”

Product features are (according to information on the box the footbeds came in):
OAS™ Stabilizer—a raised area on the inside edge of each footbed helps provide better support and stability.
Cool Dry™ Technology—the wicking fabric on the top side helps to keep feet dry, to reduce hot spots and blisters.
PolySorb Shox™—raised foam pads on the underside provide extra cushioning to absorb shock and help prevent over-pronation.

Test Locations and Conditions
During the test period (August 2005 – January 2006), I used the Spenco Footbeds in my boots for a total of 28 trips and 62 days, as follows:

All testing was in the Southern Colorado Mountains and Southeastern Utah canyon country.

Terrains included forest and desert trails, alpine tundra, sliderock, and slickrock. Hiking conditions included off-trail bushwhacking, scrambling, walking in water and mud, and hiking in snow and on frozen ground. I do a lot of off-trail backpacking in really rough, steep conditions, so the footbeds have been used under some challenging conditions. My estimated mileage is 750 miles (1200 km).

How The Footbeds Were Used
The Spenco Footbeds were used in Dunham Terrastryder mid-height hiking boots, Dunham Cloud Contrail mid-height hiking boots, Dunham Alcatraz water/hiking shoes, and New Balance 902 trail runners. I often wore gaiters over the tops of my boots, which kept the inside of my boots cleaner.

Features and Performance
Materials, Quality and Construction—The footbeds are well made and utilize different thicknesses and densities of foam in different locations.

Fitting the Footbeds—The Footbeds required about 0.5 in (13 mm) of trimming at the toe end to fit into my boots. The adjustment was easily done with scissors. After trimming, the footbeds were easy to insert or remove.

Fit in My Boots—The Spenco Footbeds are thicker than the original insoles that came with my boots, and reduced the volume inside my boots to some extent. The boots still fit properly with cushioned hiking socks. However, I would not want to give up any more volume or my boots would fit too tight in the toe area.

Spenco OAS Backpacker Footbeds after four months of use, top side (left), and bottom side (right). The top side had some wear in the surface fabric and some foam compression in the toe area (see close-up photos below), but the bottom side was little-affected by use.

Cushioning—The Spenco Backpacker model is a heavy-duty footbed compared to the footbeds that came with my boots and the Superfeet Performance Green Insoles that I have been using for some time. The Spenco Backpacker Footbeds are clearly thicker. They have a lot of extra foam cushioning on the top and bottom and more support on the inside edge. On the trail I can definitely feel the extra cushioning that the Spenco Footbeds provide. On one 80-mile (129 km) section of the Colorado Trail I hiked 20 miles (32 km) per day with no foot problems using the Spenco Footbeds.

Support—The Footbeds are much stiffer than the original insoles that came with my boots, and about the same stiffness as the Superfeet Performance Green Insoles. This is very subjective, but my perception is that the Spenco Backpacker Footbeds significantly improved the support and performance of my boots. I have not had any problems with foot fatigue while wearing the Spenco Footbeds.

Performance in Different Footwear—I used the Spenco Footbeds in four different pairs of hiking boots (two low-cut and two mid-height) that were all the same size. They easily exchanged from one boot to another. The only performance difference I noted is that the footbeds’ extra volume made some boots a little tighter in the toe area, and I had to loosen the lacing to accommodate.

Shows compression of the upper foam layer in the toe area after two and four months of use. Overall, the wear was not excessive, considering the amount of use the footbeds received.

Weight—The Spenco Backpacker Footbeds are a bit on the heavy side, 6.1 oz (173 g) per pair, compared to 3.5 oz (99 g) per pair for my Superfeet insoles, and 1.3 oz (37 g) per pair for my original insoles. For ultralight backpackers, who try to minimize boot weight, the extra weight of the Spenco Backpacker Footbeds is a significant factor. Interestingly, the left footbed weighs 0.3 oz (8.5 g) more than the right one.

Durability—After about 750 miles (1208 km) on the footbeds, they look well-used but are still going strong. The photos show some wear in the blue fabric on the top surface and some indentations from my feet in the toe area. There is no evidence of collapse of the foam padding on the bottom of the footbeds. The staining shown in the photos is cosmetic and does not affect their performance.

Acknowledgement
I would like to thank the Spenco Corp. and the BackpackGearTest Group for selecting me to participate in this test.

Will Rietveld