How to choose your running insole?

The usefulness of running insoles is sometimes questioned by running enthusiasts, at a time when they have just spent a considerable amount of money on a pair of expensive trainers. Nevertheless, at Sidas, we are convinced that these insoles are essential to ensure the comfort and performance of those feet that are so badly damaged during exercise, but without which the runner is nothing. Preventing injury, minimising shock waves and maximising enjoyment on the spot are the three major benefits of running insoles that we will detail here. We will also explain how to choose the most suitable model for your level, your practice, your feet and your desires.

WHY USE A RUNNING INSOLE?

To prevent injury

Although sport is good for your health, running can have a deleterious effect on the body if practised without care. But be careful! Running is not dangerous; quite the contrary. However, the risk of injury is a reality that 80% of runners have already experienced. Why is this? Not least because with each stride, our foot has to bear 3.5 times our weight.

Marie Maligorne, head of the Sidas orthopaedic centre, notes: "After blisters, overheating, and haematomas under the nails, traumas directly affecting the foot, knee, and Achilles tendon pain are the most recurrent."

She therefore advises running insoles in a curative role, to accompany the remission of an injury, but also in an anticipatory role, to avoid a relapse. Healing and prevention, thanks to the insoles. "We are really in a logic of anticipation of the numerous microtraumas that the body stores with each stride. Our aim is to minimise the impact of shock waves. To avoid short-term pathology and to be able to devote oneself to one's passion in the long term, not to be obliged to put away the trainers at the age of 40!" The expert, who has seen the feet of great champions pass through her hands, nevertheless reminds us: "Our claim is not to solve a problem or correct a stride, but to provide a comfort solution to help prevent injuries."

To feel good in your head and your trainers

If the first benefit of running insoles is purely physical, linked to the preservation of the body's complex mechanics, the second is psychological. The main principle is that a runner who feels good in his trainers, without foot pain, is a runner who feels good in his head and who takes full advantage of the present moment. "Feeling safe allows you to have more confidence, to be less focused on the obstacles of the terrain or the small pains and therefore to be more attentive to your sensations, more involved in your activity, whether you are training for performance or simply going out for pleasure." That's what we're all about at Sidas: the quest for well-being and the pleasure of activity through the comfort of your feet.

To perform better

Regardless of their level, the majority of runners are motivated by a goal of progress. For what greater satisfaction can there be than the satisfaction of accomplishing one's duty and feeling that one is improving day by day? To this extent, whether you are a high-level athlete or a more episodic runner, running insoles help your performance by:

• - A more precise, dynamic and stable stride, therefore economical.
• - Injury prevention for consistent, long-term training without pain breaks.

HOW DO OUR SIDAS INSOLES WORK?

In order to prevent injuries, improve comfort, increase performance, and provide real added value compared to traditional insoles, our running insoles have been designed as a real technological package.

All our ranges dedicated to running therefore provide:

• - Comfort and cushioning thanks to the EVA pad located at the heel, which absorbs shocks and thus protects the various joints. Also, the anti-slip and anti-bacterial Merrymesh covering greatly reduces the risk of overheating.
• - Stability and support of the foot since the arch of the foot is perfectly supported by the 3D shell. This shell also offers a perfect distribution of pressure zones so that all the muscles of the foot are mobilised in equal measure, thus avoiding over-use of any of them, which could lead to a risk of injury.
• - The natural rolling of the foot is supported by the medio-foot reinforcement, also in EVA.
• - Dynamism with the optimisation of the propulsion faculties in the forefoot.

HOW TO CHOOSE A PAIR OF SIDAS RUNNING INSOLES?

A good pair of running insoles is one that is perfectly suited to your feet and your running style. As with the choice of shoes, there are several selection criteria for finding the right insole for you.

• Your level of practice: from beginner to seasoned athlete.
• Your preferred playing field: trail or asphalt.
• Your injury history.
• Your desires and the benefit you are looking for: sensation and performance, or comfort.
• Your feet, because every foot is unique.

RUNNING SENSE VS RUNNING PROTECT

These two ranges are based on the same advantages and technologies mentioned above. However, we have accentuated certain features on both to focus on a specific benefit.

RUN PROTECT

The Run PROTECT insoles are designed for runners looking for stability and cushioning.

• Stability is provided by a TPU midfoot reinforcement for better control of the stride, as well as by the heel cup, which, like the seat of a chair, accommodates and envelops the back of the foot.
• The cushioning and comfort are based on the presence of gels in the heel and pads in the forefoot, allowing better dissipation of shock waves.

They are favoured by runners with a high risk of injury: beginners; those with weaknesses or recurring pain; and ultra-distance runners taking part in ultra-endurance events.

The primary benefits of PROTECT running insoles are therefore comfort and protection of the foot, regardless of the terrain, even if it is uneven, especially when the length of time of effort is prolonged.

RUN SENSE

SENSE running insoles are for runners looking for sensation, lightness, and dynamism.

In designing this range, we have already begun to define running sensation as "all the information that the millions of nerve endings located under our feet give us from the ground, before being interpreted by the brain.” Our SENSE running insoles aim to maximise this feeling of osmosis through:

• Their thinness, for a great proximity of the foot to the playing field, like an almost direct contact.
• Their flexibility and freedom of movement.
• Their lightness, thanks to an EVA composition that allows the weight of each insole to be reduced to 45 grams.
• A drop of 2, fairly neutral, for a very dynamic "absorbing-propelling" forefoot.

They are popular with performance-oriented runners who like to go fast, but also those whose reason for running is pleasure, connection with the playing field, and the search for (strong) sensations.

The primary benefits of the SENSE insoles are therefore the precision of support and the fluidity of the stride, not forgetting its shock absorption capacity.

To help you choose between SENSE and PROTECT running insoles, we have developed a questionnaire that you can find here.

RUN 3FEET VS RUN 3D

Once you have made your choice between SENSE and PROTECT insoles, you have two options as these ranges have each been developed in 3Feet or 3D models. This allows you to go even further in the detail and customisation of your insoles.

3 FEET

Every foot is unique. Every foot is different. And the difference often starts with the height of the arch. There are three types of arch height: high, medium, and low (hollow foot, intermediate foot, and flat foot).

Why choose insoles that are adapted to your arch height?

• Optimum support for the arch of the foot, which tends to collapse with fatigue and postural changes that can lead to injury.
• The most natural movement of the foot possible.

The Sense and Protect ranges are therefore each available in 3 models, corresponding to different arch heights (high, mid, and low).

3D

Don't know your arch height? No problem, the 3D range is there for you. More universal than the 3Feet, the 3D has the ability to adapt to the uniqueness of each foot with a shape memory that will quickly make your feet feel at home in your trainers.

SIDAS x TEAM MATRYX

Comfort but also performance!

Running insoles offer real added value to runners who want to reduce their times and win podiums. "It's a significant marginal gain, a small element that can turn performance into a big result!" Thomas Janichon, Team Manager of Team Matryx, a professional trail running team, reminds us.

You can find out why and how these high-level runners use running insoles by clicking here, via the first episode of our new web series.