I may be old school by mentioning Sorbathanes but 10's of 1,000's of combat arms guys can't be wrong. Wait, we all volunteered so maybe our judgement is off to begin with. Oh well, I've used them as inserts for over 20 years in all my hardcore footwear.

Also welcome Stephen. When you do a Google search for the benefits of V5F, you will find 1,000's of advocate blogs and personal reviews and zero scientific research that backs up their claims. In fact Vibram, whether rightly or wrongly, is being sued for injuries because there is no empirical study that backs their claims.

Bonafides. I bought my first pair of v5f in 2006 when they were only sold by independent retailers out of cars and back offices. Zero retail. I have been a running and triathlon coach. I have probably and with conservative estimation run 750 miles in v5f over the years. Mostly as a training tool but some obstacle course and trail races, not including just wearing out and about.

It is hard to refute anyone's personal opinion and for those that it works for in changing running biomechanics, as they did for me going from heel strike to midfoot, they work. But the fact remains that people transitioning from running shoes to v5f do not always find they work and my increase the rate of plantar injuries and possibly increase injury to the knee joint and quadriceps tearing. However these studies are still quite small and can also be attributed to a full range of issues with the runners one inherent flaw in adapting to the new footwear.

The only scientific study I found is this from ACE , though there are a few others. All stating five finger shoes can work if your body adapts but that is not a given just putting on the shoes. In fact I have read the best way to adapt to the vibram is to change your running biomechanics in your running shoes first and then switch to a minimalist shoe.

Glad they worked for you. They also worked for me, but the real science coming out, not the personal testimony's, is at best neutral towards the overall benefits of using them over regular running shoes to stop injuries.

Then there's me. My feet are so flat that they're practically convex. I wear prescription orthotics in all of my shoes, and I wear motion control shoes when I run. Fortunately this works well for me.

Thanks Comms

I don't know what works for everyone as I am no doctor but as you stated ref the sorbathanes, 1000's of people can't be wrong.... right? If that statement holds true of insoles it holds true of the 5 fingers as well.

My only point was it may be worth giving them a try if you have foot pain. You may find they don't work, on the other hand you may find they work wonders. You will never know until you give it a fair shake.

I should really be wearing prescription orthotics (arch support and pronation control), but I have so many pairs of boots in play that I'd have to take out a second mortgage to outfit them all.

IME, most over-the-counter orthotics/foot cushions turn to mush in about five seconds.

Spenco used to make neoprene and plastic footbeds with real arch support, but I can't find them anymore.

If you're hardcore, you can make your own by double-layering the wool felt footbeds from hardware and workware stores. They will squish down at the pressure points as you wear them. You'll have warm feet, though (great in winter, not so much in summer).

My current favourite: I've been having really good results with Softec Ultra Foodbeds. You can heat and mold them, but I find I can wear them "straight from the package" and they break in by themselves. Excellent, springy arch support. I get them from Mark's Work Wearhouse (Canadian chain) for $40 per pair. Looks like they're available online too.

https://secure.yoursole.com/ca/footbeds/softec-ultra/

Agreed. As I wrote, they did work for me. The problem is that sorbathanes do not claim to change the mechnanics of the foot and Vibram Five Fingers does . And they are being sued over it. Whereas aftermarket inserts and prescription orthodics have shown to be an effective item for less pain and more comfort, they don't claim to eliminate anyone's pain or change their biomechanics. Their basic function is to alleviate pain by providing better support to the foot. Simply ask why an insurance company would cover costs on orthotics if they did not work?

Just to be fair here, the first couple generations of V5F, (I think they are on Gen 4 or 5 now), their product was not designed for barefoot running, they were for nature walking, boating and yoga. Most people I knew at the time were using them for functional training in the gym. The move into minimalist running was organic not predetermined but it obviously became hugely profitable. It wasn't until the Bikila's came out around 2009 that they actually marketed a v5f specifically for runners.

For my part, I do mostly obstacle course racing and paramilitary challenges now, but I still see people running road marathons in v5f when I do them. I obstacle race with one guy who goes through a pair almost every race, always blows the toes out. He has perfect running form but the shoe can't handle extremes. To be fair they where not made for that kind of abuse, so really can't blame Vibram. But there are now events that I do while not banning, strongly discourage the use of specifically v5f for their events because of their overwhelming evidence of people failing their challenges who wear them.

To put my comments back onto the thread track, I agree that Vibrams or minimalist shoes are worth a shot if normal shoes are causing physical discomfort. But there is no real evidence supporting the benefits of five finger shoes leading to a decrease in injuries the way you can compare the effects of after market insoles decreasing pain.

can this insole support full body weight of a man? does it have rebound memory ?

The answer is yes. I'm 190 lbs. wearing a fig leaf. Add 15 for boots, clothing, and EDC. Plus whatever else I may be schlepping around.

I don't know what you mean by rebound memory, but the first set I bought is holding its shape and support after 6 months of casual walking.

I've had good experience with Spenco insoles, but I have no particular foot problems. The wear patterns on my shoes indicate that I am a mild pronator. The insoles do wear out after a bit, typically a year of continuous use.

So have I, for many years and many miles. My local source has dried up, but looking online I see they still make the type I've used in the past. They now have orthotics as well. I trust the Spenco name well enough to buy online, sight unseen.