Since I am myself unknowledgeable about insoles and through the search function I see that many other persons found themselves in quest for help with selecting insoles, I thought maybe we could do a shared thread in which we share our experience and review of various insole models?
I can list the following models so far, for some of which I’ve gathered valuable contributions from BC members:
YONEX
“No good” – Scott Kam
AC194
?
SORBOTHANE
“Thinnest and least supportive. Completely floppy and have no sort of structure.” – Ouchie
Double Strike
?
Sorbo Pro
– Ouchie
SPENCO
“Superb cushioning but still not too thick, good grip and durability and a fair price.” – S_Mair
“Amazing. Perfect protection for the knees, incredible cushioning and nice price.” – BadmiCat
Total Support
“More rigid support structures (arch and heel cup) and are a tad thicker overall. Overall too much
support for normal feet.” – S_Mair
“Very stable, very cushy on landing, yet it doesnt feel like walking on pillow (i.e. i can still feel
in touch with the ground)” – Justplaynow77
Total Max (Black Plate)
“This is my go to. total max is appreciably more stable/sturdy/durable/rigid than spenco total (gray plate).” – Offbad
Ironman Total Support Thin
?
KARAKAL
“Original insoles or very thin and when these are fitted the first impression is that it makes me feel I’m too high in the shoe and have no support in the ankle but that may be down to the shoe being low. They are comfortable and my feet definitely took less punishment absorbed the impacts well. Definitely felt more bounce which was nice. I do have an ankle injury and wearing these made me more aware that I could roll my ankle but again could be the shoe”
– dg-19844
SIDAS
?
3 feet Active, Mid
“They are amazing. My feet are way less tired after a session and the extra heel support and cushioning is great. I don’t play without it anymore. These have three different heights to cater to different feet arches, mine was middle. The non-active variant of 3feet had the top fabric roll up on the edges, and have more of a denting under the ball of the foot after months of use than the Active. I would recommend the Active variant for sport much more, the arches seem the same but has different fabric and a gel patch under front foot. Try the different heights!!”
– Thyrif
3 feet Active, High
?
PHYSIX GEAR
– Ouchie
SOFSOLE
“Good support but slippery top surface is not good for badminton. Best for casual wear or when you don’t need quick, lateral, stop/cut movements– like kwun mentioned.” – Offbad
Mens Air Sport
?
VICTOR
“Standard cushionning {…} good ‘bounce’ feel {…} as we lunge and skip around the court.
Does a good job in keeping the foot stay in place. Makes me feel my foot is safe and snug properly.”
– Justplaynow77
POWERSTEPS
“It has better cushioning than either Spenco Total Max or Cross Trainer, but has an arch support that is in between the two. Great for badminton players with flat feet who can’t afford to pay for those custom made orthotics that cost upwards of $400 cad. It’s like a hybrid of the Spenco Cross Trainer and the Total Max, with both cushioning and arch support (to reduce overpronation).”
– Visor
SUPERFEET
Feel free to contribute with your experience and impressions with any of the listed models, or to add any model to the list!