I was chosen to participate in the Influenster Dr. Scholl's Active Series Vox box, which means I was sent a free pair of the insoles to try. According to the product literature, these insoles offer triple zone protection (ball of foot, arch, and heel,) and they are supposed to help prevent pain. Now, anyone reading this probably knows (or can infer) that I am mobility impaired, and I use a cane for mobility. I also have balance issues, due to a head injury. I have chronic leg pain, as well as pain that radiates from my back. I was really hoping I'd see a difference using these insoles, but they did not help alleviate my pain.
The insoles I received were a size 51/2 to 8. Depending on the shoe, I wear either a size 7.5 or an 8. The photo shows the insoles placed into my size 7.5 Tevas. As you can see, the toe area of the insoles is quite a bit narrower than the toe part of the Tevas, while the heel portion is wider than the Teva heel. The instructions that come with the insoles state that you should remove the insoles from your current shoe and use them as a guide to trim the Dr. Scholl's insoles to the proper size. When I pulled the old insoles out of my sneakers, a size 7.5, the Dr. Schools insoles were narrower at the toe than the insoles I was replacing. The old insoles were a bear to get out, and the new insoles were smaller than the ones I was trying to replace. I could not get the old insoles back in properly, nor were the new ones a proper replacement for the ones I removed. Thus, I ruined my sneakers trying to change out the insoles. I now have increased pain when I try to wear my sneakers, due to a too small insole which does not cover the toe area of the sneakers. Additionally, the arch part of the new insoles hits my foot at the wrong point, negatively effecting my balance. I am not sure they are appropriate for anyone that does not wear narrow width shoes.
I think Dr. Scholl's needs to make these insoles available in a wider variety of sizes. Perhaps a 7-8 wide would have worked for me. Perhaps these insoles would work better for someone without all of my issues. But for this mobility-impaired person, the insoles were just not a good fit, and thus, I cannot recommend them.
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