Recommend to me an inexpensive shoe insert

In My Humble Opinion
1

My job requires me to be on my feet all day. After the first few months of walking on the concrete, I began to experience pain in my heels and lower back, so I picked up a pair of those gel inserts for my shoes.

They’ve functioned adequately lo these many months, but they’re pretty much shot at this point and I’m now beginning to experience pain in my arches in addition to the heel and back pain.

I’m thinking I should go with an insert that offers a little bit of arch support in addition to the shock absorbing gel, but before I run out and grab the first one whose packaging I like, I thought I should ask around for some advice on brands and products.

Any suggestions or good experiences to offer?

2

I have fucked up feet and require insoles in my shoes. What I have found is that different shoes require different insoles.
What might work great in a pair of Rockports hurt my feet in a pair of Oakleys. Go figure.
Anyway what I do is take my shoes to a big sporting goods store that has a good collection of different brands of insoles and I road test them one pair a time. Most of them can be eliminated just by standing in them for 30 seconds or so, and I can usually narrow it down to two. I then I walk in them for a few minutes to pick a winner.
YYMV of course, but this works for me.

3

What kind of shoes do you wear? Sneakers or casual shoes? That makes a difference in what type of insole/support you need. It may be that you need an entirely different type of shoe. *I swear by Birkenstock, but they’re not for everyone.

I’ll direct you to my favorite foot implement place, Footsmart . They have loads of insoles-- some are made with lower back & heel pain in mind. I wish I could suggest a specific brand, but I don’t have the same kind of problems you have.

If you need help deciding, call their customer service. I’ve never encountered more friendly and helpful people.

Best luck to you and your aching back. Concrete floors suck.

4

My foot doc had me get these:
http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1845159&cp=710544&page=2&doVSearch=no&pageBucket=0&kw=insoles&parentPage=family&searchId=710544
Spenco brand inserts for Plantar Faciatis- similar to the symptoms you’re desribing. I just took the insoles that came in my shoes out and replaced them with the inserts. Made a world of difference.

I got mine at a drugstore that carried orthopedic stuff and they were only about $12, so shop around for price on them.

5

These don’t have gel in them, but I’ve used Dr. Scholl’s® Advantage® Arch Supports since I was a teenager. After a couple of weeks of continuous use, they conform to your feet, yet still provide support. I’ve worn them in everything from sneakers to work shoes to heels. I like them, and the price range is around $10, so I’ll stick with them.

6

At work I wear sneakers, though recently I’ve been thinking I should pick up a good pair of work boots.

That Footsmart site is dangerous! Reaaaaal easy to become a hypochondriac looking at that site…

7

I use Dr. Scholl’s DynaStep. I had lower back pain at my old job when I had to be on my feet all day. I bought a pair of these, and haven’t gone a day without them. I think they’re fantastic, and my back feels great.