Love Your Favorite Shoes Even More!
There are a lot of things we have a love/hate relationship with; pizza, Netflix, social media, even some of our friends (frenemies, anyone?). But if you have a love/hate relationship with your favorite pair of shoes, we've got good news…we can help you love them even more!
There are many reasons we might hate our favorite pair of shoes as much as we love them but the biggest might be the way they look vs the way they feel. If your favorite shoes make you look good but maybe not feel good, it's ok. We've got you covered!
Let's take a look at some ways Orange Insoles can help you love your favorite shoes even more, even if they don't always love you back.
Your Shoes Hurt Your Feet
Yes, it’s quite possible to absolutely love a pair of shoes even if they hurt your feet. Often shoes designed to look good, aren’t designed to give your feet the support you need. In fact, shoes like high heels are counterintuitive when it comes to the natural position of your feet. A high heel pushes weight and pressure onto your forefoot that was meant to be absorbed by the heel. They also shift the pressure on your foot forward causing your center of gravity to shift right along with it. This can put extra pressure on your knees.
Shoes like flats or some slip-ons, offer hardly any arch support or shock absorption so when your feet hit the ground, shock waves move through your foot and up your leg. Your muscles and tendons are forced to absorb the impact rather than your shoes.
A good, supportive shoe should:
- Fit your foot securely
- Support your toes, the sides of your foot and your heels
- Support the arch of your foot
So shoes like heels, flats, or even some dress shoes may fit your feet unnaturally and cause your muscles to strain.
But don’t worry, there’s some hope.
While we do advise against wearing high heels all the time, we’re not gonna deny you a pair of killer shoes for special occasions. So when you want to bust out those dress shoes, flats, or heels, try an insole. Finding an insole that fits this type of shoe can be a challenge, but that’s why we created the Orange Light. It’s small enough to fit into a high heel, even one with an open toe! (But keep in mind, our insoles will require a full back and closed heel to ensure a snug fit.)
An insole will improve arch support and can help alleviate pressure these types of shoes can place on the forefoot. They will also help with shock absorption.
Your Shoes Hurt Your Back
Yes, your back pain could be caused by your favorite shoes. Like we mentioned, our favorite shoes can sometimes push our feet into unnatural positions. When this happens, it causes us to get out of alignment and we begin to compensate by using other muscles further up the body chain. Non-supportive shoes can cause us to put unnecessary pressure and strain on our knees, hips, and (of course) back.
Back pain can also be caused by an unnatural gait which can be caused by our shoes. Poor gait can cause torque, a twisting force. which is most commonly a result of overpronation (rolling your foot too far inward). If our medial arch is not supported and our body wants to twist, it will. When your back is subject to unexpected twisting motions and awkward movement, you’re risking injury. Good support from our shoes (or insoles) can help prevent this. Footwear with a wide base and contoured arch support in the midsole can help keep you in correct alignment. If you have to (or want to) wear a shoe that lacks support, you can enhance it with a good, supportive insole.
Our Orange Light provides essential support for both your metatarsal and medial arch. This insert is designed to fit into a shoe with limited space where an Orange full length would not be suitable…like those flats or dress shoes!
Your Favorite Shoes Don’t Last
If you love them, you’re going to wear them a lot, even if they hurt your feet. And if you wear them a lot, they’re going to wear out…especially if they don’t have a lot of cushion or structure in the first place. But, adding an insole to your favorite shoes can not only help them feel better on your feet and save your back, it can help prolong the life of your favorite shoes.
By using an insole, you can help slow down the natural wear and tear that may occur if you’re wearing a shoe a lot. The insole absorbs the impact and friction caused by your foot and the ground rather than the shoe. And if your foot rolls in or out, your shoe might start to sag in that direction. An insole can prevent this and help your shoe keep its shape.
Improve your relationship with your favorite shoe and get the support you deserve. Add an insole and save not only the relationship, but your feet, your back, your hips, your posture, and more!
