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1. Why is the Companion
sock-liner so thin?
The Companion sock-liner is a
specially designed, very thin insole which will quickly
conform to your foot and around the orthotic. It may
shorten the break in period when worn on top of the orthotic as
it quickly takes the shape of the orthotic while offering
comfort to the bottom of your foot. In the below pictures,
it can be seen how the Companion sock-liner conforms to the
orthotic and doesn't distract from the support of the orthotic.
If a thicker sock-liner were used, it would change the
shape of the orthotic, possibly making it non-functional as it
would not support the foot as designed.
The Companion sock-liner will
also keep the orthotic stabilized in one location during normal
use and it will allow the foot to slide in and out of your shoe
more smoothly.
Above
picture shows Companion sock-liner sitting beside orthotic after
being worn one week - The Companion sock-liner starts out flat
but soon takes the shape of the Personalized Orthotic and your
foot.
Companion
sock-liner on top of orthotic after worn one week - Notice the
way the sock-liner conforms to the Personalized Orthotic
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2. More about sock-liners.
sock-liners are often referred to as
insoles. sock-liners have often been used to enhance the
"point-of-purchase" experience. A thick, soft
sock-liner is placed in the shoe and when the potential buyer
tries on the shoe in the store, they often comment, "Wow,
this is really comfortable".
Actually, all the customer is
experiencing is a thick soft sock-liner that feels good
initially but once the shoe is worn for a few days, the
sock-liner looses all it's original properties. Shoe
companies realize the importance of
"point-of-purchase" and often use a very cheap
sock-liner that feels good for a short time before it compresses
fully. When a consumer buys a pair of shoes, they make the
decision in a few minutes . . . as long as the sock-liner lasts
"a few minutes" it will assist in the sale.
This doesn't mean all sock-liners don't
function. Some sock-liners actually offer support and long
term comfort if they are constructed in the right manner and
utilize the right materials. These sock-liners usually add
significant cost and are normally seen in very expensive shoes.
Soft sock-liners don't necessarily
mean long term comfort. Tests have also shown that soft
materials make the feet more tired and sore when compared to
somewhat harder materials, which is contrary to common thinking.
People often wish they could walk on "pillows" all day
but this would actually make the feet very sore.
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3. Why should I remove the
insoles (sock-liners) that came with my shoes?
Often the sock-liners that come with your
shoes have a piece that extends up along the inside arch of the
shoe. Even other sock-liners have an arch
"cookie" placed in the arch of the shoe. When
the orthotic is placed under these insoles, the additional
material of the sock-liners in the arch area interferes with the
functionality of the Soleutions™
orthotic. This can cause the foot to be very uncomfortable
or even cause pain. This effect can also be
experienced if you place your orthotic on top of an existing
sock-liner.
Additionally, the existing sock-liner
takes up room in the shoe which may cause the shoe to be too
tight if it isn't removed.
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4. Why do the orthotics
feel hard, can't they be made softer?
With orthotics, support is the name of the
game. A certain degree of hardness is required to obtain
any supporting functionality. However, if the orthotics
are too hard (like many on the market) a degree of comfort is
lost. During the research and development phase of
Soleutions™ orthotics, many different hardness were tested.
It was found that orthotics could be too hard and too soft.
Our unique manufacturing process allowed us to make orthotics
over a wide range of hardness. For general purpose
all-around-use, the hardness we've chosen works the best.
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5. My orthotics didn't seem
to mold to my feet, is this normal?
Yes, it is normal to notice little molding
after the personalization process. If the orthotics molded
100% to a bad foot, all benefits would be lost. The
molding process is designed to remove any high spots which would
cause extremely high pressure points and at the same time,
conform to the heel in a way that cradles the heel offering more
overall foot support.
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6. What is metatarsal
support and why is it so important?
Metatarsal support is support under the
center portion of the foot right behind the forefoot. The
"hump" in the front-middle of the orthotic is what
supports the metatarsal area. A foot has more than one
arch that needs to be supported and the arch in the metatarsal
area is one of the most overlooked. Along with the inside
and outside arches, the metatarsal arch needs support.
Often foot pain can be eliminated with simple metatarsal
support. Not only do Soleutions™ orthotics offer
great support in the metatarsal area, they also offer key
support in the medial (inside), and lateral (outside) arches.
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7. What is the most common
cause of heel pain?
According to WebMD,
plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain. It
occurs when the long, flat ligament on the bottom of the foot
stretches irregularly and develops small tears that cause the
ligament to become inflamed.
Nonsurgical treatment
includes rest, ice, anti-inflammatory drugs, stretching
exercises, shoe inserts (orthotics), or night splints. In some
cases, corticosteroid injections may be used to reduce the
inflammation of plantar fasciitis.
Soleutions™ orthotics
support the bottom of the foot allowing the healing process to
take place. Without proper support, the bottom of the foot
may never heal.
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8. How lightweight are these
orthotics?
Unlike most orthotics that are made of
solid plastic, Soleutions™ orthotics are made of a unique,
microcellular, foamed thermoplastic rubber compound. The
foaming process makes our orthotics up to four times lighter
than solid plastic orthotics.
The foaming process makes a microcellular
closed cell foam similar to that seen in some midsoles. In
addition to being lightweight, these orthotics are resistant to
water and sweat.
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9. My orthotics move around
in my shoe, how can I stop this?
Make sure
your Companion sock-liners are on top of the Soleutions™
orthotics. The Companion sock-liner will conform to your
foot which allows the orthotic to perform properly and at the
same time the sock-liner will keep the orthotic in one position.
It will also allow the foot to slide in and out of your
shoe more smoothly.
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10. Why aren't the
orthotics made in different widths?
As people
age their forefoot widens. This causes many older people
to require wider shoes. Soleutions™ Personalized
Orthotics extend to the start of the forefoot, therefore
avoiding the wider part of the foot caused by ageing. If
the rear part of a persons foot is wide, the orthotic is
designed to spread out slightly during the Personalization
process . . . actually molding to the width of a persons
foot.
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11. Do I need to
Personalize the orthotics before I wear them?
You can wear Soleutions™
Personalized Orthotics without
molding them. Their initial shape starts out like the
perfectly formed anatomically correct foot and depending on the
abnormalities of your foot, you might be able to use them right
out of the package. After Personalizing, the orthotic will
still support the base of the foot, in a manner that the body
was designed. Personalizing will help reduce pressure
points caused by imperfect feet.
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12. I often wear different size
shoes, which size should I choose?
You should
choose the smaller size shoe that you wear. For example,
many people wear a size 9 dress shoe but a size 10 sport shoe.
When ordering Soleutions™
Personalized Orthotics they should order size 9.
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