“What’s the best insole for…”
This search query is incredibly popular. People are regularly looking for the best insole to meet a variety of needs, which means they’re not satisfied with the insole that came with the footwear they purchased.
Could one of your customers be entering this search query into their browser? If so, you’re missing an opportunity to provide an insole right out of the box that provides the right levels of comfort, performance, and support they’re looking for.
When people query about the best insole, here are some of the most common reasons they’re searching for an alternate solution:
At INSITE, we spend a lot of time conducting testing and gathering data on human biomechanics and how people really move. We’re very familiar with gait issues like overpronation, and foot pain issues from high arches or plantar fasciitis.
These issues are extremely common, but shoes are often designed with flat insoles to accommodate a broader range of wearers. We know it can be a big ask for shoe designers to find ways of providing arch support for wearers who need it, as well as better cushion for individuals with foot pain, all in the same shoe!
However, our data-driven research allows us to develop insoles that meet the needs of a majority of wearers, thus reducing the likelihood that a customer will seek an aftermarket insole.
Using the above list of common reasons customers are searching for alternate insoles, we will explain how INSITE insoles accommodate these issues for most wearers.
Our patented Contoura insole shape is designed using human factor data from more than 120,000 3D footscans to improve gait, stability, and biomechanical efficiency, so you can offer your customers elite-level orthotic benefits all in one ergonomic insole.
This science helps produce insoles that provide the right levels of support for individuals who have flat feet, need arch support, or experience overpronation.
Plantar pressure mapping generates visualizations of the pressure generated onto an insole by a foot in a shoe and identifies common pressure points and hot spots. Additional psychometric testing also helps quantify the user’s perceived comfort levels, with in-depth questionnaires that tap into the user’s experience with each individual component of the shoe and insole.
Coupled with our poured PU foams that mimic human foot tissue, this research helps produce insoles that provide ideal comfort for individuals with plantar fasciitis and other types of foot pain. It also provides a more comfortable insole for extended periods of standing.
3D motion capture tracks the body’s center of mass in real time while using INSITE insoles to assess underfoot stability and balance during movement. This combines with force plate testing to measure impact resistance. Endurance testing measures oxygen consumption and muscle response during athletic activity while using INSITE insoles, identifying the level of performance the insole can support.
This data helps produce insoles that deliver optimal performance during any activity, such as running or getting through a hard work day, based on the way people really move.
Many brands may not be aware of the reasons their customers are seeking aftermarket insoles. A great option to gain insights into customer insole preferences is conducting a customer perception survey.
In surveys conducted for brands, we uncovered that customers are looking for ergonomic benefits, inclusive of arch support, shock and impact absorption, and pain and pressure relief.
Do you know if your customers are ditching your insoles in favor of an aftermarket alternative? If you know what’s driving their search for the best insoles for [insert any common issue here], then you can infuse the solution right into your footwear.
Last month we sat down with INSITE Biomechanics Research Lab Assistant Lily Bartel to discuss her research as she completes her master’s degree at Oregon State University and how it relates to her work with INSITE.
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