The common types of shoe insoles

Shoe inserts for shoe insoles are nonmedical solutions for foot problems. For people suffering with heel pain, flat feet, low arches and other leg pain, this is a temporary solution. If you feel you are suffering from any of these problems you can purchase this over the counter in a pharmacy close to your home. But unless you have a podiatrist prescription, these are only shoe inserts not orthopedic inserts.

The shoe inserts for shoe insoles need to be thought through before actually purchasing them. They are not effective for bio mechanical foot problems and other long standing foot issues. For these problems you have to consult a podiatrist and he may recommend surgery, injection treatments or sometimes custom made orthopedic inserts.

When you are buying the shoe inserts over the counter, you have to first consider your health. You can easily buy these inserts, but if you have serious leg problems, like diabetes or any problems with circulation, these inserts are not going to help you. For people who have a leg pain and are not sure what it is, still you must consult with a podiatrist only then issues like diabetes and circulation will come to light. When you are shopping for an over the counter inserts, you have to consider the purpose or activity. For different activities, different inserts will be needed. For example athletes and working people will need very different types of inserts, for exercise and other activities yet very different types of inserts are needed. Then once you have decided on what type of activity that you need the insert for, you must purchase the insert, by first trying it on the shoe for the activity. If you were planning on buying the insert for work, or exercise or any other reason, you will have to bring the respective foot wear and match the insert accordingly. When you do find the insert that fits the contours of the shoe, then you should try to walk with it. If you feel natural and comfortable then it is the insert for you. but if you feel unhappy about it, your feet keeps slipping and still feel pain, then you might need to look for another insert.

The types of inserts

There are many types of shoe inserts. The insoles are made of gel, foam or plastic and provide cushioning to the feet. They can easily fit into the shoe. Arch supports support people with flat arches and high arches. So they usually have a bumped up appearance. The heel liners support people with heel pain, because of the extra cushioning in the heel region. Foot cushions provide barrier from shoe to feet by protecting the heel and toes from rubbing on shoe.