Modern surfaces, such as concrete, asphalt and floors are hard. When your feet land on them,
the force of the impact is often more than your system can naturally absorb. The shock travels
back up through the body, stressing and eventually damaging joints and causing fatigue.
Excess weight, athletics, repetitive activities and standing for long periods can aggravate the
situation. The heel strike shock particularly affects your lower skeletal frame --your knees, hips
and lower back as well as your feet. In the long run, it can inflict pain, limit activity and in some
cases, require joint replacement.
Due to fashion trends and cost cutting by manufacturers modern footwear rarely has sufficient
cushioning. Most sports shoes which should offer better protection are rarely suitable for work
or business use and studies have shown that most sports shoes lose much of their cushioning
effect within a short time. For years, scientists have studied the problem and looked for
possible solutions. Bio-engineers, orthopedic surgeons and physical therapists saw that, if
they could find a way to place a shock absorber between foot and the ground, the energy
would be diffused before it damaged the joints. For those already afflicted, such shock
absorbers would help relieve pain and prevent further damage.
Studies were designed, experiments were conducted, materials tested. The results all
suggested that visco-elastic polymers were the optimum materials for underfoot cushioning.
These synthetic materials, which are both dense and elastic, proved remarkably able to
absorb the shock of heel strike. Taking up less space in the shoe than conventional foam
materials, visco-elastic polymers are the most efficient form of under-foot cushioning available
today. In fact you would need up to 15 drug store insoles to equal the cushioning effect of one
visco-elastic insole.
In tests that actually measured the amount of shock that various parts of the body sustained
when walking, visco-elastic materials in combination with micro-porous foams showed far
greater ability than other materials to dampen shock and reduce rebound. They cushioned the
skeleton as the foot hit the ground and instead of kicking back instantly, they dissipated the
energy evenly over several milliseconds. That is key to protecting the joints.
Size Guide
Men's shoe size:             Woman's shoe size:
      2-4                                       4-6
      5-7                                       7-9
    11-13                                   10-12.5
Customer comments
By T. Martin "t. martin" (Seattle, WA USA)
This review is from: Visco-Elastic Gel Heel Spur Pad Insoles
I recently was diagnosed with a heel spur and bought these pads. They are great! It has really reduced the pain I feel in walking. I can tell the difference by taking them out and trying to use the shoes normally - hurts. But put them back in and it's nice and squishy. The indented spot on the pad lines up well with where my heel spur is.
They are very sticky on the back side, which helps to keep them in place. If they collect dirt, you can rinse them off and let them dry - they are sticky as new again! I even stick them onto my flip-flops to wear around the house and they stay in place.
Worth every penny :)
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