Tested: Superfeet Insoles

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Mountain bikers love to customize every part of their riding experience. We color-match our cable ends and set our cockpits up just so. But often, we ignore one of the most important touch points: the interface between our feet and our shoes. I’ve used a few different aftermarket insoles over the years, and Superfeet’s Run Support High Arch model is my favorite go-to that I swap between riding shoes.

Superfeet Insoles In a Nutshell

• Model Tested: Run Support High Arch
• Weight: 56 g (one trimmed insole)
• MSRP: $54.99

Superfeet's insoles are available now.

Why use aftermarket insoles?

Some people have average, or nearly-average feet. Their arches are middling, their ankles are of an average volume, and their toes neither splay wide or crunch up tight. But mathematically, most of us are not exactly average, which means that shoes made for average folks won’t exactly fit. They’ll probably be close enough, but when has “close enough” ever been good enough for mountain bikers?

Aftermarket insoles help bridge that gap. They are a relatively inexpensive tool to modify your shoes to better fit your feet. And they can make a big difference in both comfort and performance. Anecdotally, it feels like folks who clip in regularly are more aware of the value of custom insoles - maybe because their stiff slippers are less forgiving. But for the rest of us, the unwashed flat-pedal hordes, here’s my exhortation: if your feet hurt or get sore while riding or walking your bike, consider getting yourself some custom insoles. And consider making those insoles Superfeet.

I’ve got very tall feet (high insteps and arches) that are also very sensitive to pain. I’ve tried a variety of aftermarket insoles, and my current favorite is Superfeet’s Run Support High Arch, so let’s get into it!

Fit and setup

I’ve been ski boot fit several times, so I’m pretty aware of my foot shape and needs. That means that I could have used the handy dandy insole finder tool on Superfeet’s website to figure out what insoles made the most sense for me. However, since Superfeet’s HQ is just a few minutes north of me in Ferndale, WA, I got to head up for a factory tour and fitting.

I wasn’t allowed to take pictures in the factory, but it was pretty rad to see the combination of complicated machines, and manual labor that it takes to lay up insoles. It’s also wild to see the scale and volume of insoles that Superfeet is making and shipping. Turns out, there are lots of feet that need fitting in the world.

At the Superfeet office, I had the sort of fitting experience that you’d have at a Superfeet dealer. That means showing the fitter my feet, and explaining my needs and preferences. With that information, they’re then able to recommend a few insoles that make sense for your feet. Superfeet has a pretty impressive dealer list , so it shouldn’t be too hard to find someone near you who can talk you through this process.

My preference for tall, supportive insoles put me in a set of the Run Support High Arch model. From there, it was easy to pull the stock insoles out of my bike shoes, trace them onto the Superfeet insoles, trim them to fit, and hit the trails.

Performance

Insoles are not one of those upgrades that radically change everything about riding your bike. Instead, my feet feel better supported, and more locked into my shoes. That means that I can still get secure heel grip, without cinching the laces down uncomfortably tight. That makes for a more precise feeling on the pedals, and a more comfortable bike walking experience.

Last weekend I walked my bike a lot, and while my feet were still sore at the end of the day, it wasn’t the intense aching I’m accustomed to when I put a lot of hiking miles on my bike shoes. I’ll be swapping these insoles into any other bike shoes I use this summer, to keep things consistent, and keep my feet locked in.

For Now

For most of my life I’ve treated foot pain as something normal, a baseline that I had to live with. As I get older, eliminating or otherwise dealing with it becomes more and more of a priority. Superfeet’s insoles are a helpful step in that direction.