Dirt Rag Magazine: eSoles eFit Custom Footbeds Review
- Karen Brooks
ShareeSoles is a company that focuses exclusively on foot comfort for sports. They began with the ePro, a custom footbed made from a detailed foot scan. Problem with that approach is that this scan can only be performed at an eSoles kiosk, at only a handful of locations, although there are plans for more. But after amassing tens of thousands of foot scans, the eSoles wizards realized that they could use that data to come up with a simple footbed that can be adjusted by the user to fit his or her own feet. Thus was born the eFit.
eFit insoles come in three styles for different sporting needs; my testers were the Supportive variety, for the rigid-bottomed footwear used in hockey, skiing, and of course, cycling. The eFit kit consists of insoles to which different arch supports and metatarsal pads can be affixed with secure hook-and loop patches. Each kit comes with arch supports in four heights and metatarsal pads in two thicknesses. The arch supports look like miniature bridges, with an arch spanning a flat, vented base plate, all made of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) that molds to your foot and to your shoe with body heat, to further fine-tune the fit and support. The arch supports are covered with a thin layer of EVA foam for cushioning, and the metatarsal pads are made of this same foam.
The eSoles people have done studies with Olympic athletes that show proper arch support can increase power transfer and improve ankle and knee alignment, by eliminating the “collapse” of the arch as a cyclist presses down on the pedals. I can’t say I’ve had any specific symptoms of poor arch support, but plenty of fellow cyclists have; I’ve definitely felt the tingling, pain and hotspots in my toes and the balls of my feet that metatarsal support can alleviate.
The fit procedure is quite simple—in fact I was a little worried at how
simple it seemed: just sit in a chair, place the arch supports under your foot on the floor, and choose the one that has full contact with your arch. I’ve never had any kind of foot scan or evaluation, and didn’t want to screw up and cause pain by choosing the wrong sizes. I ended up choosing the smallest arch and it felt too high at first.
However, with the first ride, my feet did feel a little more comfortable. The arch pieces seemed to settle down pretty quickly and made a nice solid base for pedaling. After a couple more rides I switched from the thin metatarsal pad to the thicker one, and that made a definite difference in the toe area, eliminating hotspots and giving comfy new life to my beat-up old commuting shoes.
I’ve also used the insoles in both my summer and winter mountain biking shoes. My summer shoes happen to be Specialized Body Geometry Pros, which initially had a raised metatarsal “button” in the insole that has since been beaten down. The eSoles restored this benefit and have made a noticeable comfort difference. In my Lake MXC302 winter boots, the eSoles had to replace the original insulating insoles as there wasn’t room for both, but I still didn’t get cold feet, possibly due to better circulation with the footbeds.
The eSoles fit perfectly in all three shoes without trimming. The arch supports molded such that I didn’t notice the footbeds after a while, but missed them when they weren’t installed.
The $55 price tag seems fair to me for a product that can rejuvenate a
favorite pair of older cycling shoes (which can be much more expensive), and worth the step up from cheaper drugstore solutions. Made in China.