People who spend a lot of time on their feet (walking, playing sports) often feel very tired by the end of the day. Legs swell, hurt. How to prevent such sensations? Use gel insoles!
The comfort of wearing shoes depends on its quality. Here, the shape of the pads, the size and type of heel and materials play a great role. But the quality of the insole affects the condition of the legs. Usually the standard ones that come with shoes do not help relieve foot fatigue. They do not have depreciation properties, therefore, do not protect them. As a result, corns appear on the legs, in the worst case, the foot is deformed.
Gel insoles
Gel insoles with Gelactiv technology significantly improve the condition of the legs and take care of them. They are developed by employees of Salford University.
These insoles are designed primarily for sports. But they can be used for almost all types of shoes, except for high-heeled shoes. Can be worn even with sandals. The insole thickness is from 2 to 3 mm. The fact is that gel (silicone) insoles have different thicknesses in different places. This result cannot be achieved in ordinary insoles. An exception may be orthopedic insoles, in which special hard linings are made of durable materials. After all, for some diseases it is precisely stiff shoes that fix the foot.
Types of Insoles
Scholl gel insoles are available in several versions. These are the Scholl Gelactiv Sport, the casual Scholl Gelactiv Everyday, and the Scholl Gelactiv Work insoles. Although the separation is quite arbitrary. So, workers can be worn in shoes "on the way out", and sports - for work. Moreover, often work is not very different in workloads from playing sports.
There is another classification of gel insoles: on the basis of gender. But here the division is even more arbitrary: gel insoles for men, sizes 42-48, and women, sizes 38-42. They come with a couple. If a man has a small leg, he can use the "female" option. They differ only in size. The weight of insoles is smaller - 155 g, large - 215 g.
Composition
The insoles are made of thermoplastic elastomer, it is also silicone or gel.
For the production of sports insoles, two types of gels are used:
- Soft blue gel improves cushioning. It serves as the basis of the insole.
- Solid yellow supports the arch of the foot and fixes the heel. Lining for problem areas is made of it.
White foam material is located on the heels that usually suffer while running. Durable arch support will support the leg while moving, and gel pads will help absorb almost all medium-strength shocks.
The principle of creating daily insoles is similar, but white inserts are not used there. The base is made of soft shock-absorbing blue gel, the lining is made of hard yellow.
For the production of insoles for active work, gray elastomer is used. Blue and yellow gel inserts are located in certain places that are most affected when doing physical work.
Impact insoles
What is the difference between a gel insole and a usual insole and what is its advantage?
Silicone insoles "Shol":
- Support the whole body by redistributing its weight.
- Protect from most small and medium impacts, mitigating their effects.
- Reduce pressure on the joints.
- Improve blood circulation.
- Do not allow pain.
- They make wearing shoes comfortable.
- Reduce fatigue.
Insoles for active work are shown to people suffering from sharp pains in the heels - spurs.
All types of gel insoles contribute to the prevention of varicose veins. This disease usually affects people who have to stand or walk without rest for a long time.
Gel insoles for shoes do not contribute to increased sweating.
User reviews indicate that they are not felt in shoes, that is, their wearing is very comfortable.
Application
After purchase, the gel insoles are removed from the packaging, cut with sharp scissors to the desired size. It is indicated by special markings on the insoles.
They take out the old insole, which is usually found in any shoe. If it can not be removed - laid on the inner surface. Set the insole with the gel part down. Its surface adheres well to the inside of the shoe. Therefore, in the process of walking or running, you will not need to make efforts to keep them. They will not protrude from open summer shoes. No one will guess that there are additional insoles.
The gel insole supports the arches of the feet, longitudinal and transverse. Users note that they begin to feel relief when walking almost immediately after installing the gel insoles. After a while, the leg begins to move correctly, the calcaneus falls into place.
Insoles for active work have ventilation holes that allow air to pass through. This allows you to keep fresh. But here a lot depends on the quality of the shoes themselves. If it does not let air through, then no insole will help to do this.
Athlete Insole Reviews
How do athletes evaluate gel insoles for shoes? Reviews indicate that with them almost any sneakers, sneakers become comfortable.
Many people involved in sports note the healing effects of Scholl GelActiv Sport insoles on the condition of the legs.
Casual Insole Reviews
Women, who spend most of their working time on their feet, note that fatigue after wearing gel insoles occurs much later or does not bother at all. At the same time, they insert them into ordinary shoes.
Gel orthopedic insoles help correct defects in deformed joints. Wearing regular gel insoles for orthopedic purposes should be agreed with your doctor. Mostly they are used only to relieve fatigue in adults. In principle, children can also use them, but they are designed specifically for elders with a certain foot size. Therefore, simply cutting the insole and reducing it to a child’s size may not be enough. Indeed, in this case, the gel inserts will not get to those areas that need protection.
Gel insoles for shoes are convenient for older people. Reviews say that they are not able to completely change the condition of the legs and relieve pain, but they improve the condition by 70 percent.
The advantage of gel inserts is that they can be used in winter and summer. Users note that insoles do not stain socks and shoes. Now in certain circles it has become fashionable to wear shoes on the bare foot. Shoes with an insole can be worn without socks and tights.
Buyers note that the insoles do not slip. The gel insert provides good grip.
Periodically, you need to clean the gel insoles for shoes. Reviews say that they are very easy to care for. To maintain them in good shape for a long time, just wipe them with a sponge moistened with soapy water and dry them.
Where can I buy gel insoles
- In pharmacies.
- In ordinary stores, in departments with orthopedic goods.
- In online stores.
The cost of gel insoles
How much do gel insoles for shoes cost? The price varies depending on the place of purchase and manufacturer. Usually in online stores Polish can be purchased for 1850-1500 rubles. There are cheaper gel insoles for shoes. The price of orthopedic Everyday Chinese-made - about 1000 rubles.
There is information that in sports stores their cost is only 300 rubles.
Storage
Scholl gel insoles are recommended to be stored at a temperature of 15-25 degrees.
Do not use washing machines to clean. They are not soaked. Dry wet insoles can be dried at room temperature.
If they are damaged by exposure to water, the insoles are thrown away.
The period of use of gel insoles is 6 months. But if they wear out faster, then you need to change them more often.
In addition to insoles, there are on sale ultra-thin heel pads. They help solve the problems of certain areas of the foot.
If the buyer has questions about using gel insoles or caring for them, he can once again read the instructions that come with each pair.
Customers like the insoles packed in thick plastic.
Users note that the labels on the packaging can be made in Polish and French. Therefore, the classification may differ slightly, but in appearance it is easy to determine why these or those gel insoles are intended for.