If you’ve ever used shoes with custom footbeds you’ll know how good they are…and how expensive the shoes are. But here is a great cost effective alternative.

They might not look like much but these footbeds can make the world of difference, particularly if you’ve got seemingly weird feet like me. I have real problems with a whole load of shoes in that I get cramp along the bottom of my foot. I think it’s cos I’ve got really flat feet. Anyway, to cut a long story short I removed the footbeds from a pair of shoes that I suffer really badly in, stuck a pair of these in my oven for a few minutes, put them in the offending shoes, immediately went for a quick spin in them to shape them correctly, and then later went for a ride to see if they made any difference. What a revelation! Not a single hint of cramp, job well and truly done, and all without having to spend a fortune on a pair of disco slipper shoes that I don’t really want anyway.

Obviously if you’re really happy already with the way your shoes feel then you’re not going to be interested in these, but if like me you’re always left thinking there’s some room for improvement I reckon these are a good investment. Sole produce a number of different types with the main difference being the thickness. The ones shown here are the thinnest option and these are probably the ones to go for, especially if you can’t remove your current footbeds. Most cycling shoes have pretty thin footbeds as you don’t need as much cushioning as say a walking boot, but if you reckon you shoes could do with being a bit snugger anyway then you might want to consider going for one of the thicker options.

These footbeds can also be moulded by simply wearing them and not bothering with the oven stage, but seeing as you have to wait much longer to reap the benefits (it’ll take numerous rides for them to mould to your feet) and the oven method is so easy anyway, I can’t see why you’d go down that route. The guys at Sole were also keen to point out that if you do heat them up you really should try and get out on your bike as soon as you can after heating them. If you just wear your shoes around the house afterwards your feet won’t be quite the same shape as when you’re riding.

So, it might seem like a fair bit of money to spend on something that just gets shoved in the bottom of your shoes but these offer the kind of custom fit that you’d normally have to spends hundreds on, plus you can use them with any shoe. If like me you suffer from any kind of foot discomfort then to say it’ll be money well spent is an understatement. Oh, and if you fancy a pair of the comfiest Flip Flop’s that you’ve ever worn then Sole will also sort you out with a pair of those too.

Price: £38.00
www.yoursole.co.uk

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