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Sports Gadgets Roundup

Author Andy Vandervell & Riyad Emeran
Published 30th May 2009
Manufacturer SOLE
Supplier 0800Sports
Price £26.81 (Exc VAT)
as reviewed £31.50 (Inc VAT)
Latest Price Click here
Overall Score 9 for Overall
Sports Gadgets Roundup
award recommended
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As a onetime sufferer of plantar fasciitis, an extremely painful foot condition centred on the heel, footwear has become something of an obsession for me. This is particularly true when playing Cricket (my favourite pastime), since even a £10 pair of socks can massively improve comfort during hours spent on the field. However, in general, the off-the-shelf replacements insoles tend to be a bit hit-and-miss, so the SOLE Heat Mouldable Custom Footbeds immediately appealed to me.

SOLE's mouldable footbeds come in four varieties: Regular Softec, Slim Casual, Slim Sport and Ultra Softec. These encompass different thickness levels, with the Regular Softec's offering 1.6mm of protection and the Ultra Softec's 3.2mm, while the Casual Slim's are designed for everyday footwear.


One thing they all share, though, is the ability to be moulded to your own feet - offering an experience similar to orthopaedic insoles at a fraction of the cost. This process is very simple. All you need do is heat your oven to 90 degrees Celsius, place the footbeds in there, and then when ready put them in your shoes and wear them to achieve the moulding effect.

Indeed, the only complication I found was that the small thermal sticker, which is meant to turn black when the footbeds are ready for moulding, didn't work. However, the well written and easy to follow guidelines do indicate that, should this happen, you should remove the footbeds after five minutes.

Post-moulding you can instantly feel the difference between these and regular shoe insoles. They provide a tangible level of comfort, the sort created by ample and well placed support, as opposed to just softness. Exactly the kind you need when playing any sport.


Even with this moulding, though, the footbeds do take a little time to 'bed in'. On my first outing I did experience a little bit of discomfort as although my feet were moulded to the footbeds, there was clearly some time needed to get the footbeds to settle into my shoes.

Once this initial period was over, however, things improved markedly. After several weeks of using the footbeds I've long since forgotten they're there, which is exactly what you want.

Verdict

If you're after a little extra protection and comfort, be it for everyday use or sports, the SOLE Heat Mouldable Footbeds fit the bill. At £30 or so they're excellent value, while the comfort and protection they offer is invaluable.

 

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Latest 4 of 14 Comments

Have your say: Leave a comment below about this article.

comment smc8788 said on 1st June 2009

@ Frank/Riyad - I'm confused then, because as far as I'm aware the only difference with polarised lenses is that they have a special element to control the orientation of... more

comment Frank said on 1st June 2009

@smc8788 (and anyone else) you don't need to spend the price of a set headphones or a night-out, Vision Express do plastic Polarised clip-ons for about a tenner, cheap and che... more

comment smc8788 said on 3rd June 2009

@ Frank

Plastic clip-ons? No thanks! It kind of belies spending that amount on designer sunglasses, doesn't it? Although now that I think about it, I probably c... more

comment Frank said on 9th June 2009

@smc9788.
I don't actually understand your comment;
quote - "Plastic clip-ons? No thanks! It kind of belies spending that amount on designer sunglasses, doe... more

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