GREAT GEAR RECOMMENDATION - Best Insoles - Lathrop & Sons High Country Synergy Footbeds
After market insoles. A dozen of the top models currently on the market.
Most insoles that come with your new boots and trail shoes are cheap, flimsy and provide little cushion which is why there are so many aftermarket ones available. I like the idea of replacing the stock insoles with upgraded versions. It's sort of like buying a new truck and immediately running it down to Discount Tire for a new set of BF Goodrich All Terrains. Only problem is that, until now, I have not found a set of insoles that I liked as much as my beloved BFGs.
I tested most of the major brands for a year and came up with a couple sets that worked for me. It isn't that the others are bad products it is just that many seem to take up too much room inside the boots which effected the fit to the point where I got hot spots or blisters where I had none before. The rest just didn't seem to feel good. They were either obnoxiously high in the arches or so thin they weren't any better than the stockers.
Favorite Lathrop & Sons High Country Synergy Footbed compared to second place Superfeet Orange. You can see the difference in height and structure. The all gel type construction of the Lathrop insole is just right. Not too thick. Not too thin. Note the beefy heel counter and smooth nylon top cover of the Lathrop.
I got a pair of High Country Synergy Footbeds with my Hanwag Mountain Light GTX boots from Lathrop & Sons. Lathrop & Sons is the U.S. distributors of Hanwag boots but they also run a medical practice. They are Pediatrists and Pedorthists, foot docs, so they know what they are doing when it comes to feet. Stands to reason that their footbeds might be pretty good, right? Well, they are top notch. In fact, I think they are the best on the market.
They are made of a medical grade polymer that feels like a dense gel. They are very flexible but thick and supportive enough to do the job as good or better than the competitors. They also have bat wing arch supports that conform to the interior of any boot perfectly. However, the thing I appreciate most about the High Country Synergy Footbeds is that regardless of what boots I use them in, they don't ruin the fit or give me any problems by taking up too much real estate. Just good support and lots of comfort.
The ventral side of the Lathrop insole has a tacky feel to it which keeps it securely in place without messy adhesives. I don't understand much about the technical structure, I just know it feels good and works well for me.
Although the Hanwag boots are outstanding, you don't have to buy a pair to enjoy these excellent insoles. They can be purchased separately by size and trimmed to fit all your boots and trail shoes which is what I would like to do. It gets a little tiresome switching them from one pair of boots to the other but I do it anyway because they are that good.
Here is a tip for you. Regardless of which after market insoles you choose, make sure that you incorporate them into your shopping and purchasing process. Introducing them into the equation afterwards could be problematic.
See HardcoreOutdoorVideo for my YouTube review.
Wade Nelson
Editor
Sorting through the fads and fashion of the outdoor equipment industry to identify and promote the very best wilderness gear for high end recreational users, backcountry professionals and government agencies.
We can be educated and persuaded but not bought, bullied or bs'd.
Posted by Wade Nelson at Wednesday, December 08. 2010 
Categories: Feet, Video-Pictures, GREAT GEAR RECOMMENDATIONS
Tags: best sole inserts best footbeds best insoles
Categories: Feet, Video-Pictures, GREAT GEAR RECOMMENDATIONS
Tags: best sole inserts best footbeds best insoles
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