How to Choose Your Insole, Arch Support, or Orthotic

Powersteps Get Seal of Acceptance

Products- Superfeet, Lynco Orthotics, Emsold, Powersteps
Everyone's feet are unique, and different activities demand different types of footwear. Taking these variables into account, it's unrealistic to expect one insole to fit every shoe and every foot. That's why you can choose from different styles (Aetrex Lyncos, Superfeet, Powersteps, and Emsold) at Your 2 Feet, formerly Z-CoiL of Seattle, to improve the fit of most of your footwear - whether you walk, run, ski, hike, snowboard, play basketball, or work all day on your feet.
Finding the right size and style is critical to your satisfaction. Foot type, footwear, and activity all play an important role in selecting the proper style and size. Because we cannot take all of these factors into consideration without an evaluation at Z-CoiL of Seattle, we highly recommend visiting us for an I-Step pressure analyses and full evaluation to ensure proper selection and fit of our products. A customized heated orthotic may be fabricated while you wait, if needed. Our in store podiatrist fabricates custom orthotics, if you do not already have a podiatrist, from a mold of your feet at affordable prices as symptoms indicate.
How to Choose Your Insole, Arch Support, or Orthotic
Everybody's feet are different, but everyone can benefit from the support and comfort provided by our top of the line choice of arch supports, insoles and customizable orthotics. Choose from a variety of models designed to fit differently-shaped feet for all types of shoes, activities and sports. Here are some tips to help you choose the right productsfor you.
What foot type are you?
Only 10-15% of the population has what is described as an 'ideal functioning foot'. This is often referred to as a neutral foot. People with a neutral foot have a well-defined shaped foot that doesn't need an orthotic for biomechanical reasons. But they can still benefit from the added shock absorption and cushioning an arch support (orthotic) provides. The 3-dimensional shape around the foot acts like an adapter to fit into the 2-dimensional shaped footwear. This intimate fit provides comfort and improves performance.

The remaining population has a tendency to either excessively pronate or supinate when they stand, walk or run. Besides affecting fit, this can result in secondary foot ailments. If you experience this type of problem, arch supports (insoles) will provide support in the key areas of your foot to help reduce foot problems.

Excessive pronation can cause a flat arch and foot elongation, resulting in plantar fasciitis, bunions, blisters, knee, hip and back pain, and shin splints, among other things. The end result is inefficient motion, which causes low strength and loss of power during toe-off.
A supinated foot can be predisposed to ankle sprains, ligament strains and tears, tendonitis, and poor shock absorption. Overall, arch supports will improve the comfort and fit of the shoe.
What type of footwear are you wearing?
Most types of athletic style footwear come with some type of removable insole. Unfortunately, the soft cushion effect dissipates quickly within the first few days, and the poor support provides little, if any, biomechanical help. Removal of this insole provides ample room to complement your new footwear with any one of our supportive arch supports.
Many types of casual and formal dress footwear have no removable insole and subsequently provide very little room for the addition of an after-market insole. In these instances our low-profile products models are ideal for this type of footwear. They can be trimmed full length, or if need be, trimmed back to a ¾ length. If your footwear is still too tight, we recommend you try one of our L500 Lynco series, Emsold or Trim Fit Superfeet products.
What type of activity are you doing?
Most activities will feel more comfortable with the right insole. If you are a runner or walker, we recommend you try one of our styles designed to provide extra shock absorption. If you are looking for support in a stop-and-start sport like soccer the Blue Superfeet is the way to go. No matter what type of foot you have, what type of footwear you are wearing, or what activity you are doing, our arch supports are the ideal product for you.