New footbeds in hunting boots

[cnelk]

I am one that doesnt like the footbeds that come in new hunting boots.
They are thin and do not provide much support.
So I take them out and replace them with a gel sole of some sort.

But it seems that after a season of elk hunting, those are squashed and I need to replace again.

Is this typical or is there a better footbed to use?

 

[bnsafe]

i bought the superfoot footbeds last year. they are just as hard an thin as what came in the boot. however they do add alot of arch support an help the foot in that way. but, i had a pair of dr scholls gel pads from wal mart for a quarter of the price that i liked better. so, its back to them next time.

 

[americanbwana]

I always change the insoles out when I buy new boots / shoes.

But they should last 12 months with daily or regular use (from the REI page).

Anyway, I use the superfeet or spenco brands and have had pretty good success.

 

[mtnmutt]

Custom insoles. They are worth it and definitely last longer than store products. Older people :grin: may benefit the most with custom insoles. Unfortunately, there are some bad Pedorthics.

Due to a hip issue which makes my right side 1/2 inch shorter than my left side, custom insoles are my only option to minimize stress on my joints. I started off with trying store products. In the end, only custom insoles gave relief.

Doing calf stretches on breaks also helps my feet last longer. I have never had my feet hurt while hunting accept for the one case of blisters during a backcountry hunt.

However, I have met a number of backpackers that speak highly of superfeet. I never tried them.

 

[cohunter14]

I have actually used a custom pair or orthotics in mine and they work awesome! The initial cost of orthotics isn\'t that cheap, but I have used them for 7+ years in my hunting boots as well as in some tennis shoes and they still work great. Just a thought...

 

[Deertick]

I\'ve heard that hard insoles will eventually wear down the GoreTex bootie in the boot. I have no idea if that is true.

But getting new insoles is sometimes like getting new boots for a fraction of the cost.