Some things to consider before you buy.
For the most part, these insoles are pretty much what you’d expect by looking at the pictures, so I won’t restate what’s obvious and stated in many other reviews.  But I will list below some things that might NOT be quite so obvious, and that you should think about if you are considering purchasing this item:<br /><br />The insoles themselves really don’t offer much (arguably, none, in my opinion) arch support by themselves. You’d have to add the little sponge pads to the insole in order to get any significant amount of arch support.  Note that these insoles DO NOT have a built-in hard plastic arch support like many other insoles and orthotics do. In my personal opinion, if what you seek is a very firm, high arch support, the ones having the built-in hard plastic piece under the arch may be a better option for you.<br /><br />Insofar as the sponge pads that you can stick on, that sounded like an attractive feature to me initially, because I could customize the support/padding to my personal preference.  But I feel there are a few downsides to this that you should consider:<br /><br />It can (and probably will) take several trial-and-error adjustments to get a pad positioned “just right” so that it feels perfect. Doing this requires you to stick the pad on, put it into the shoe, and walk on it. But then you have to remove the pad, move it a little, and stick it back on, and walk on it again. Still not perfect? Do it again!  Because you’re removing and reapplying that pad, the glue is likely becoming less sticky with each removal. Meaning, the pad becomes more likely to later lose its grip on the insole and slide out of position while you’re walking long distances, especially if the insole gets warm/sweaty or wet for long periods due to water leaking into the shoe, or even just perspiration..<br /><br />Even if you manage to stick a pad on in the perfect position the first time and never remove it, I am still concerned that the adhesive will eventually give way and with the addition of friction between the pad and the shoe itself, the pad may slide out of position over time. And then it will become uncomfortable and not provide the desired support.  Consider how annoyed you might get if that happens. Would you be annoyed? (be honest!) Would you consider it to be wasted money?  If so, perhaps you might not want to take the risk and maybe a one-piece insole would be a better option for you.<br /><br />The insole relies on the use of the stick-on pads not only for arch support, but for heel and forefoot padding as well (if you want that). So on my insole, I have a pad under the forefoot, a pad under the heel, and two pads stacked under the arch.  While some might love to have that level of customization, I actually find it rather overcomplicated and kind of Macgyvered to “make it work”, if you know what I mean. And not very visually sleek in my opinion (not that this matters much, given that it’s on the bottom of the insole).  I find that I’d much rather just have a one-piece insole that comes with good heel and forefoot padding built in, and a hard plastic (and high) arch support.  Something that I can use right out of the box, and be happy with.  Yes, it takes some trial and error to find the perfect model for my foot, but once I find it, I will likely just keep buying the same one for each new pair of shoes and not have to spend time on trial-and-error fitting anymore.<br /><br />If you found this review to be of any value whatsoever, I would appreciate a quick click on the "Helpful" button below, to let me know that I’m not completely wasting my time putting these reviews and tips out there. Cuz I got better things to be doing! lol.  I thank you.
Rating: 3 stars