Owners Review:  Superfeet Synergizer Green

 

Owner Review                                                                                                 27JAN2005

 

Biographical Information  Product Information  Field Testing  Summary

 

Biographical Information

·       Name:  Mark Keskes       

·       Age:  32

·       Gender:  Male

·       Height:  5’9”/1.75 m

·       Weight:  270 lb/122 kg

·       Email address:  markkeskes(at)yahoo(dot)com

·       Location:  Michigan, USA

Backpacking background:  Although I first was exposed to camping in boy scouts as a youth, and spent some time in the military, and car camped a few times, I wasn’t bitten by the backpacking bug until about a year ago.  I participate in organizational/large group camping, as well as family backpacking, occasional car camping, and as many day trips as I can squeeze into my schedule.  I live, work, and vacation primarily in Michigan in all seasons and weather.  I enjoy hiking and day trips, but truly enjoy extended backpacking trips. 

 

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Product Information

 

Product Name:  Superfeet Synergizer Green

Manufacturer:  Superfeet

Company Motto:  “Healthy feet.  Better Life”

Size:  F (they have their own sizing system, size F covers a range of foot sizes from 9.5-11 US with an E-EEEE width)

MSRP:  $30.95 US

Reported Weight: 4 oz/110 g

Weight received:  4 oz/110 g after trimming and modification, weight is for both insoles not individually.

URL:   www.superfeet.com

 

Superfeet Synergizer Green is an aftermarket replacement footbed designed to replace the footbed in shoes/boots.  The company’s website I found to be very informative and covers a variety of maladies that their footbeds help to treat.  They seem to have an application for every type of shoe.  The Synergizer Green insoles that I use are trimmed to fit into a boot/shoe.  There are many stores that have personnel trained to properly fit/customize footbeds and I feel it is worthwhile to go to them (those locations are also available on the website).  The footbed itself is constructed of essentially 3 elements:  the New ETC (Eliminate The Cause) top cover (a special fabric that allows better traction between socks and the footbed reducing blisters, heat, moisture and bacteria), Trocellan Closed Cell Foam, and a hard plastic ¾ retainer that helps the foam maintain its general shape. 

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Testing

 

Objective:  to test a pair of aftermarket orthotic insoles for durability, comfort, support and any poor effect for a period of no less than 6 months.

How:  I tested these insoles through daily use, maintenance and care.  I used 2 pair of insoles, one for my boots and one for my shoes so there was no switching of footbeds around.  Daily use included activities not limited to walking, running, hiking, and carrying loads of up to 50 lbs in a backpack over multiple terrains.  Please understand that I wear my boots for a minimum of 3 12-hour days/(36 hours) per week walking between 5-10 miles each of those days on concrete floors, unless I am on a trip.  The other 4 days a week I spend using my trail shoes. 

Terrain:  Varied from concrete, sand dunes, hills, pathways, and off trail.  Mean elevation of use 500-900 ft/ 152-274 m above sea level.  Weather conditions: 20-98 degrees F/-6.66-54 degrees C, rain, ice, snow, heat, and even falling into the Rifle River (I never said I was graceful).

Acquiring:  I first purchased my Superfeet insoles in March 2004 from Moosejaw, a local retailer, for $29.95 US for the pair.  I bought them out of a suggestion by my doctor to help with low back pain.  The staff fitted me up according to my shoe size, foot measurements, and intended uses.  They gave me the arm pulling demonstration, which I found amazing.  I stood with arms outstretched in stocking feet on the store floor and they could easily pull my arms down.  Then standing on top of the Superfeet I was able to resist their manipulations.  It was explained to me that without support, the joint of the foot at the calcanus (heel bone), tarsals (small foot bones), and metatarsals (long foot bones) is allowed to collapse, thus allowing the arch to collapse, foot to spread, over-pronate, over-supinate, etc. making the foot more unstable and everything else is without support or balance.                                                                                                                   

Making them fit properly:  I removed the factory footbed from the shoe and from the boot to make room for the Superfeet footbeds.  They seemed to go right into each boot or shoe without any problem and did not slip around or curl up at the toes because I had used the factory foot bed as a template for trimming.  My boot fitter explained that by not removing the factory footbed that I was adding more volume to my boots and shoes and changing how they would fit my feet dramatically by changing the volume within the boot.  I would highly suggest that a new buyer have someone actually size his or her feet at the store.  My reasoning is that I had a boot fitter size my feet at the store.  He told me that my arch length is shorter than the normal population and a modification needed to be done to the insole to help it work for my feet better.  He was a specialist that had received training from Superfeet regarding their insoles, he also told me, and I verified on the website that not all stores that sell the insoles have people who have been trained by Superfeet.  (A proper boot fitter, Podiatrist, or other foot health practitioner should do any modifications to the footbed other than trimming it to the insole size per the website at www.superfeet.com.)

Comfort:  I placed the insoles one pair in my shoes and the other in my boots.  I was immediately struck by the thought that I was walking on rocks, but after reassurances by the store’s staff, I continued to use them.   In short order my feet became used to not collapsing from lack of support, and actually my back pains melted away over the course of the next few weeks.  In the field there were a variety of uses, although there were no mountains climbed, there were dunes, but I am supposing they would help with that as well.  I thought for sure that they would fail me at work as I am on my feet moving for 12 hours a day working in the emergency room on hard concrete floors.  My plan to see if they would fail was thwarted as they not only held up, but also continue to hold up 6 months later.                                                                                                         

Break-in Period:  It is even noted on the Superfeet website that it may take a few weeks of gradually increased time wearing the insoles to get used to them, although there is no defined break in period.                                                                                                                           

Duration of Use:  The company states on their website that the useful length of time for the insoles varies by the users weight and how much they are used.  It also said that when the covers start to wear out, it is time to replace them and perhaps recycle them to a pair of old shoes used for working around the house.  I have noticed that the insoles have more or less formed to my feet in that the foam seems to have crushed down under the ball of my foot and my heel.  I am assuming since the foam is crushed down and the covers are now finally in January 2005 starting to show wear that it is time for another pair of insoles.                                                                                                           

Smell:  The smells coming from the Superfeet are no worse than from a factory insole (I am comparing my Superfeet to my girlfriend’s and son’s shoes that have factory insoles).  The recommendations of using scented lotions on your feet and washing the insoles in mild soap and water and other suggestions are offered on the website.  I personally washed them in mild soap and water about once a month and air dried them and pulled them out of my boots nightly to let them air out to help control the dampness/ smell.                                                                    

Moisture:  After a 12-hour day in boots, the insoles do seem a bit damp, but then again the whole inside of the boot feels damp to me.  There was no real dampness noted in the trail shoes (except that whole Rifle River thing) so I am assuming this to be a breathe ability issue of full leather boots vs. nylon/mesh paneled trail shoes.                                                                                                                                                          

Slipping:  In my boots and shoes I noted no real issues with slipping between my socks and the liners or the liners and the boots. 

Hot/Cold:  In warm weather there were no problems noticed with undue warmth, and in cold weather there were no problems with freezing or rigidity noted.    

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Summary:

I have used these insoles for the past 9 months and feel that they have worked well for being off the shelf foot beds, designed to support the arch, and provide increased comfort, while hiking or walking, whether under load or not.  I did not like the period of breaking them in, whether this was a matter of my feet getting used to having support or merely breaking them in to my feet.  For this reason, I will step up to the custom made footbeds that Superfeet offer.  I feel that they support my arch rather well, and work well with my footwear.  I have recommended them to coworkers and do not hesitate to recommend them here.  Thank you for your time.