Reviews > Footwear > Footbeds and Insoles > Spenco OAS Day Hiker > Jennifer Pope > Field Report

Field Test (back to top)

After receiving the insoles I immediately put them in my trail runners (which are my primary day hiking shoes). My immediate concern and the one that it still somewhat of a problem, is that the Spenco insoles take up a lot more room in my shoes than the factory insoles did. This means that the fit of the shoe feels slightly "off". Generally speaking, after walking around in the shoe for a few minutes my feet get used to this fit and it doesn't bother me. It also doesn't seem to impact my foot soreness at the end of the day, but nonetheless, the fit of my shoes (not the insoles) feels different.

The break-in period for the insoles was short. I wore them for daily use (to work, around town, etc) for a couple days to get used to them. I had no problems there. During a given week I probably wear at least five or six different pairs of shoes so whenever I put on a pair of shoes my feet take a few minutes to "remember" what that shoe feels like. I find that this is the same with these insoles. They take a few minutes to get used to, but then they're perfectly comfortable.


There's a Spenco logo on the heel of the insoles that is showing some wear. After wearing the insoles for my first extended outing, this had already begun to wear off. Now after wearing the insoles for two months it's looking pretty sad. The insole itself appears to be holding up fine though.

Overnight Backpack
Sequoia National Park - 11 mi (17 km) total - 25 lb (11 kg) pack - elevation: ~8,000 - 10,500 ft (2450 - 3200 m)

My first major test of the insoles was on an overnight backpacking trip. This could be seen as a minor stretch of the insoles' function, but only slightly. The insoles are rated to carry up to a 25 lb (11 kg) load and this is right at where my pack is (though I didn't weigh it before I left). I wore the insoles in my Montrail hiking boots with thick wool socks and a thin synthetic sock liner. This made the fit of the boot snug, but not overly tight. The trail consisted of dirt wooded paths as well as exposed granite cliffs. Temperatures were mild to warm while I was hiking (65 to 85 F/18 to 30 C); I also experienced sunny conditions as well as an afternoon downpour. The elevation gain was also quite significant at about 2,000 ft (600 m). The picture to the left shows a portion of the hike where I was walking on exposed granite cliffs.

I wouldn't say that the insoles performed poorly, but they could have done better. At the end of day one my feet were very tired. I should also mention that I developed altitude sickness on this trip, so I was feeling poorly in general on the night of day one. This could have also impacted how I was feeling about my feet. On the morning of day two, I was feeling much better and my feet felt back to normal as well. By the end of the hike out my feet again felt very sore. The rest of me generally felt pretty tired as well. I didn't develop any blisters on the trip. Overall, I think the insoles performed adequately when stretched to the edge of their recommended use. I think the terrain of the trail might have been a little too much for them (it was a difficult trail).

Bike Riding and General Use
Santa Monica - 17 mi (27 km) total - no pack - elevation: sea level

Much of the general use the Spenco insoles have seen has been in my Keen Taos sandals. I have found that the insoles fit fairly comfortably in my Keens. I wear these shoes either with a light hiking sock, cotton socks, or no socks; the insoles work in any of these configurations. The one issue I have here is the insoles are visible through the 'vents' on the sides of the sandals (see picture below). This isn't a huge problem and I'll probably continue to wear them like this even after the test period is over, but a minor complaint anyway.

I've found that the insoles work well while I'm biking. I tend to put pressure on different parts of my foot while I'm biking as opposed to hiking and this works well with the insoles. On this particular course I take I'm required to carry my bike up several flights of stairs to cross a pedestrian overpass (the Montana steps for those familiar with Santa Monica). The insoles provide enough support to do this in a light hiking sandal. My feet felt as good as new at the end of this ride (which I've done twice in these insoles).

I have also worn the insoles in my Keens for other general use including short bike rides, walks to the beach, walking around town and on short, non-demanding hikes. The insoles have performed well in all these circumstances. I've never had a problem with foot soreness or tenderness in any of these day-to-day activities. It's hard to tell if the insoles have done better than the factory insoles since there are so many factors that can affect their performance. I think it's best to say that I am completely satisfied with their performance in this capacity.

Urban 'Hiking'
Chicago - 10 mi (16 km) total - no pack - elevation: 580 ft (175 m)

I wore the insoles in my trail runners throughout a week-long trip to Chicago. This included extensive walking around the city, as well as walking in city parks, a nature preserve, and through an art museum. On my highest-impact day I walked around 10 mi (16 km). Throughout all this walking my feet felt great. My legs always tired before my feet did and even at the end of a long day the status of my feet didn't even occur to me. The temperatures were quite warm at times, up to about 85 F (30 C) and the humidity was more than I was used to; but my feet were not bothered by this.

Summary (back to top)

Overall I am satisfied with the performance of the insoles. They have performed well in day hiking conditions. They have caused some issues with the fit of my shoes; but now I can keep this in mind when I'm buying new shoes in the future. Their performance on short backpacking trips hasn't been stellar so far, but I will continue to look at this in the future test period. I am satisfied with their overall performance. My biggest problem is now I have insoles all over my house. Since I switch the insole between shoes I now have several pairs of factory insoles lying around and I constantly have to look in my shoes to find which pair I wore the Spenco insoles with last.

Long-Term Testing Information (back to top)

I will be taking some spur of the moment trips into the San Bernardino and Angeles National Forests before the weather gets too cold. These trips generally aren’t planned far in advance, but I’ll likely be out a weekend each month. Temperatures on these trips should be cool to mild ranging from the 20s to 80 F (-5 to 25 C). Weather should be fairly mild as well with an always looming possibility of rain. Elevations range from 4,000 to around 8,000 ft (1200 – 2400 m). In about a month I hope to head back to the desert for some car camping and hiking. Terrain in the desert is rough, rocky, and dry. Elevations are near sea level to 4,000 ft (1200 m). Day hiking in and around Los Angeles is always a given pretty much every weekend. The terrain of the trails near Los Angeles is mainly rocky, chaparral covered hills. Trails are usually dry and temperatures are mild all year round.

My planned use for the insoles is more day hiking and general, urban use. If the opportunity arises (and the trail isn't too difficult) I will try the insoles on another backpacking trip.

I want to thank BackpackGearTest.org and Spenco for giving me the opportunity to test this item.


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Reviews > Footwear > Footbeds and Insoles > Spenco OAS Day Hiker > Jennifer Pope > Field Report