Breathe Magazine

Shoe insoles aren’t really something you think about. That is, they aren’t something you think about until they go bad. Then it’s just about all you can think about, with every step making you wince from both poor foot cushioning and the pain of having to shop and shell out for new shoes. For me, the worst is the demise of a pair of good sneakers – I wear them just about every day, getting irrationally attached to them, and try to eek every last walk out of a great looking and feeling set of sneaks.

So when the opportunity to try out OrthoLite insoles arrived, I jumped. The company’s foam insoles are already in many popular sport shoes, including Nike, Asics, Puma and New Balance, but are just now being made available for purchase direct to consumers. (Full disclosure: the company provided a pair of insoles free to Gear Gals to review). Since I’d purchased a pair of New Balance running shoes not too long ago, I saw in this a fantastic opportunity to resurrect my last beloved pair of sneakers – navy, gray and silver Sauconys. I don’t run often, but I walk outside constantly, and these shoes had carried me over all kinds of terrain. When I finally wore them out I just couldn’t bring myself to toss them. So the OrthoLites went right into the Sauconys, bright blue new insoles inside well-worn (ok, dingy) old sneakers.

And it worked! The bottoms of my feet felt great in my old shoes. OrthoLite promises breathability, moisture control and anti-odor properties in their insoles, and while nothing’s going to make these beat-up sneakers smell like roses, they certainly smell and feel fresher than before. The insoles came pretty true to size, as they only required a slight trim before sliding comfortably into my size-8 shoes.

I’m not sure how long the revived comfort will last, and the insoles don’t fix the wear and tear in the fabric on top of my shoes, but I’d certainly say that the $19.99 price is worth getting more miles out of favorite kicks.