• Taking it from the top is a grey base material, soft and flexible
• Next is a black material, ridged, soft, and with air holes to allow air and moisture to pass through
• Below that is a brown layer made of a hard, rigid material for form and support
• Next are two green pads, somewhat firmer than the black layer, but still providing a cushioning for impact, both at the part of the foot next to the arch, and to the outside of the heel
• Finally, there is a yellow pad on the inside of the heel, much less cushioning than the green pads, providing a firmer, though not rigid, support
• The tops are covered with a wicking material to help remove excess moisture and, according to Spenco, to reduce hot spots and blisters. The green covering here is soft, and has a fabric-look, and also contains the Spenco Outdoor Adventure Series logo.

No booklet is included, but hey, they're insoles after all; almost sufficient instructions are printed on the box. The directions read, "Remove existing insole (some brands of shoes glue the insole to the shoe, but careful removal will not damage the shoe). Insert the Spenco OAS Footbed into the shoe. Trim with scissors if necessary. Hand wash with warm water. Air dry."

For the most part these instructions were easy to follow, and I quickly replaced my old insoles with the new Day Hiker Footbeds. Fortunately, mine fit perfectly, I wear a US 8.5 (Euro 7.5) which falls in the middle of their range (US 8-9). Had trimming been necessary there is no pattern on the Day Hiker Footbeds to guide you, other brands I have used imprint a cutting guide to assure a perfect fit.

I spend most of my time hiking the Laurel Ridge area of Western Pennsylvania/West Virginia, where the terrain is rocky, and elevations are constantly changing. Most hiking shoes come with a minimal insole, offering little or no cushioning and support. By the end of even a short day hike (7-9 miles, 11-14.5 km) my feet are sore and ready for a soaking in a hot tub. I have spent many years (and dollars) looking for a good insole, in fact I've probably spent more money on insoles than on shoes. Most are made for sales people (standing around), runners, and other athletes who work out on flat, level, playing fields ­ hardly what I experience on hiking trips; so is it no wonder that most insoles just don't do much to help my feet feel better at the end of the day?

With all of the work that went into the design of the Spenco Day Hikers, I have great hopes on these being an entirely different breed of insole (even the name "footbed" makes them sound different). Along with the cushioning, I like the idea of them wicking away the moisture, though I am more skeptical about that than any other claim, after all they are on the bottoms of the feet, and moisture evaporates upward; my feet sweat profusely, and I usually end up changing my socks midway through a good summer hike, so I am looking forward to this feature.

I was anxious to begin testing the footbeds so I immediately put them into my Merrell Low Hikers, two things I noticed immediately: they were very soft and comfortable (for the most part), but the arch was uncomfortably high. Upon inspection of the shoe and the insole I discovered that the arch in the footbeds is indeed higher than what was in the shoe originally. After a few days my feet became accustom to the higher arch.

I have been using the footbeds daily at work, and during my hikes at lunch - I happen to be lucky enough to work just a five minute walk from a hiking trail. Also, I work on the fourth floor of our building, and typically walk the stairs rather than taking the elevator. What I have discovered during this first week is that the Spenco Day Hikers are very comfortable, and my feet feel much better at the end of a day than usual. So far as the wicking feature, I haven't noticed any significant difference than before, though I am wearing normal cotton socks, not wicking hiking socks.

Over the next four months I will be conducting several tests on low-impact day hikes. Spenco states that these are for Light Hikes / Trail Walking, but what, exactly, is a light hike? The only guidelines in their literature states: "1-Day trip carrying 0-25 lbs (11 kgs)." This is not very defining, so I am curious as to just how much "punishment" they can handle in a day hike. I lead introductory day hikes for "newbies," starting slow and building up; it is my intent to put the Spenco Day Hikers through the same paces.

The initial hike will be through a local park, the trail is 4.5 miles in length, easy terrain, moderately soft ground. From there the hikes will build in length, difficulty of terrain, and hardness of surface. The Laurel Ridge, where I do most of my hiking, is rocky, with the boulders which underly Pennsylvania lining much of the trails. This is where the capabilities of the Spenco Day Hikers will, in my opinion, be put to their most difficult tests, and the final hike (a 10-mile trek over rocky, constantly changing elevations) will separate a good insole from a fair one.