Best Basketball Shoe Insoles: Flat Feet, Sof Sole, Powerstep, Superfeet, Spenco, Walk Hero
Here are the best basketball insoles based on our research. #1 is the actual insole I have used for over 10 years.
Serious basketball players play for long hours on hard concrete, asphalt, or wood surfaces which may impact their knees, hips, feet muscles, and bones negatively causing long-term impacts. To help prevent issues, like plantar fasciitis, blisters, or overpronation, use a good quality insole that keeps your muscles fatigue-free and gives maximum relief.
Best Basketball Insoles:
- Sof Sole Insole
- Powerstep Pinnacle Maxx Insoles
- Superfeet Premium Insole
- Spenco Basketball Insoles
- Walk Hero Shoe Insoles
- Superfeet Basketball Insoles
- Physix Gear Basketball Insoles
- Spenco Polysorb Heavyduty Basketball Insole
Best Basketball Insoles
1. Sof Sole Insole
Features:
- Affordable
- Dense wedge-shaped toe padding for added comfort
- Soft and cushiony
- Squishy sole keeps impact off the feet.
The Soft Sole insoles are the first item in our list of best basketball insoles because I have used them for years. I have been wearing Nike Zoom or Dunks for the last 10 years or so and I found these insoles were the perfect complement (and they just happened to be what Foot Locker was selling that day). These soles give relief from foot fatigue when playing on hard courts or concrete surfaces. These insoles are soft and cushiony which keeps your feet more relaxed. You can wear them during long basketball training sessions or tournaments. They come with adhesive-like backing which gives support to the heel.
While running and jumping, these absorb shock and keep your foot relaxed. It raises your foot’s center of mass and directs it upwards to maintain balance. The underfoot padding really makes a big difference on the arches and ball of the foot.
The wedge-shaped toe padding on the front of the insole is dense and may bother you if you wear special orthotics. These soles are comforting if you are doing rigorous workouts and activities or for standing jobs or military training.
Lastly, if we talk about the Sof Sole price, they are fairly priced. You may also wear it while hiking, traveling, cycling, dancing, or working out.
2. Powerstep Pinnacle Maxx Insoles
Features:
- Therapeutic
- Great arch support
- Semi-rigid shape grips the foot firmly
- Anti-microbial fabric used
The Pinnacle Maxx Insoles give “Maxx” comfort as suggested by the name. Made of anti-microbial fiber, the Powerstep insoles support the arch perfectly. These make running, jumping, and making hard cuts on the court easier. Besides helping you on the court, these will come in handy while traveling, cycling while working out, dancing, and hiking too!
The insole increases your ability to get around and makes a positive impact on serious orthopedic issues like plantar fasciitis, osteoarthritis, and many more. These are suggested even by podiatrists and orthopedics.
If you have long practice sessions, tournaments, or are on your feet a lot while working, these soles will support your knees and relieve stress on the lower back, hips, and heels. The heel and midfoot are kept sturdy and absorb shocks actively unlike regular soles.
The semi-rigid shape grips the feet firmly and shields them from bruises/injuries with the ideal amount of roll correction.
These are a good choice for therapeutic multipurpose insoles that will ease discomfort or pain on concrete, asphalt, or other hard surfaces.
3. Superfeet Premium Insole
Features:
- Great shock absorbing
- Therapeutic
- Nice arch support
- Multi-purpose
The Superfeet insoles have total heel support. Rather than giving you short-term benefits, these soles support the arch and give you long-term relief.
You can wear them in any kind of footwear, including loafers, soccer cleats, hiking boots, etc. These are often recommended by doctors for those with pronation and plantar fasciitis because they alleviate the pain and pressure on the bone.
Superfeet insoles would be a great choice for basketball and any sport that involves sudden cuts, jumping, or running. The insoles take little time to break in and the tiny cushioning on the underfoot absorbs knee pounding and helps prevent hip and lower back issues.
4. Spenco Basketball Insoles
Features:
- Elongated underfoot padding
- Increased stability
- Therapeutic
- Well structured
The Spenco products are durable and well structured. They offer support to the underfoot area and are recommended for plantar fasciitis sufferers. The Spenco insoles fit nicely inside a shoe without modification.
The sole isn’t spongy as a traditional gel sole and stays in shape even after months of usage. The scientifically designed sole reduces the pressure on the lower legs and ankles while playing basketball or other sports. They are inexpensive when compared to other insoles on the list.
The elongated padding gives you added stability. These insoles will make you feel more balanced and are a good choice for basketball players.
5. Walk Hero Shoe Insoles
Features:
- Reduces foot friction
- Available in multiple colors
- Well made
- Deep heel cup
These insoles are rigid and durable. The deep heel cut and soft and cushiony feel give support to athletes. They fit into your shoes without needing modification or trimming.
Walk Hero Shoe Insoles are affordable and help reduce pain due to the shape which is designed to reduce motion control and help those with pronation issues.
They work in all types of shoes (lace-ups, velcro, etc.). Reviews mention that they are high quality and long-lasting.
6. Superfeet Basketball Insoles
Features:
- Stabilizer cap
- Deep heel cup
- High-grade foam
- Durable
Basketball involves high-impact jumping and landing, running, and sudden cutting which stresses your knees. Superfeet insoles will ease the impact on your knees. They are cushiony like most other soles and also have great moisture-wicking technology. These are a solid choice for basketball, hiking, traveling, or jobs where you are on your feet a lot.
These are at a higher price point but reviews said they were worth the additional cost. They support your arch and help with overpronation. They will work with your regular sneakers but you may initially want to trim them down a little.
7. Physix Gear Basketball Insoles
Features:
- Soft and durable
- High-performance EVA foam
- Shock absorption
- Thoughtful design
The Physix insoles are quite cushiony and come with a lot of padding for all-day wearing. cushioning level is great for all-day footwear. If you’re running, slamming, or dunking, these would stabilize the high impact and keep you steady.
These will amp up the arch support and ease the stress on your legs and lower back. These offer the right kind of support you need while playing on hard and concrete surfaces. The high-quality sole foam absorbs jerks immediately.
When it comes to the sole design and its construct, you can trust us blindly. The high-performance premium EVA and ergonomic design are perfect for athletes and hardcore ballers. Also, you can use them in your hiking, cycling, and gym shoes.
It keeps the stress of the heels and balls of the feet stable throughout the day. The efficient power sole reduces the fatigue amount by considerable amounts. The feather-like softness makes you feel like you’re walking on a cloud for real.
8. Spenco Polysorb Heavyduty Basketball Insole
Features:
- Great cushioning
- Good arch support
- Odor locking technology
These heavy-duty insoles from Spenco fit nicely in your shoes and are comfortable with socks. The arch support is noticeable and keeps you well-balanced. The design increases motion control and reduces foot friction and excess heat generation.
Last but not least, the odor locking technology works and reduces foot odor.
Buying Guide
The list of items above was based on our online research and personal experience. This buyer’s guide includes the characteristics we used in our evaluation.
We also did research using Pub Med to evaluate whether shoe insoles are generally considered effective. I thought this National Library of Medicine article on using insoles to reduce medial knee loading to treat osteoarthritis (OA) was interesting and worth a read.
Since excess loading in the medial compartment contributes to knee pain and disease progression and since knee OA treatments that alter this are likely to be popular and inexpensive, further exploration of their possible effects is desirable. In that vein, our work suggests two important findings. First, they suggest that lateral wedge insoles reduce medial knee loading more than a control shoe throughout the whole of stance phase and significantly better than both barefoot walking and the mobility shoe during latter stance where the supported insole reduces immediate knee pain better than the typical device with increased comfort.
Pub Med
There are many factors you need to keep in mind before placing an order such as the foam quality, design, arch support, price, and moisture-wicking. I discuss these individually below:
Longevity
Most soles survive for at least 3 months with heavy usage. Some soles may start falling apart and the fabric threads may start showing earlier than others. Brands like Physix, Sof Sole, and Walk Hero have good fabric and generally have good longevity.
Arch
For normal feet, a neutral arch is ideal. For flat feet, the moderate or neutral arch would be fine. Your need for arch support will vary according to the contour of your foot. Insoles with a deep heel cup and the right arch for your feet are more likely to be comfortable for you.
Shoe size
Measuring your foot size correctly is very important. Breaking in an insole may be hard initially but you’ll get used to it eventually as the shape gets adjusted according to the natural shape of your feet.
The right size will give the maximum arch support. Wearing the wrong size will not only impact your feet but may impact your basketball game!
Toe space
There must be enough toe space left in the shoe otherwise it may crowd your toes, hurt your nails and cause blisters. You can trim off the insole if it’s larger than your foot size.
Quality
A high-quality insole for basketball won’t cause friction or rub against your feet causing soreness, blisters, or redness. You may also consult a doctor before buying an insole if you have severe orthopedic issues. Insoles made of EVA are typically durable.
Moisture Wicking
Feet produce a lot of moisture and, potentially, smelly feet during basketball and other sports. Moisture-wicking insoles will help reduce the moisture and smell and keep your feet fresh.
Shock Absorption
The foot takes intense impact that needs to be distributed evenly and absorbed quickly to prevent injury. A good-quality sole will do this for you while running, jumping, pivoting, sliding, and walking in general and could reduce foot pain. This factor is a very important point to consider when buying an insole.
Basketball Insole Video Review
This review has a few additional insoles that they liked at Wear Testers.
Conclusion:
So now you have the ultimate insole buying guide for your basketball shoes and even your treadmill walking shoes.
All of the above-listed factors are what you need to keep in mind. We personally would recommend the Physix insoles for their good quality fabric, foam, and long hour durability.
Basketball Insole FAQs
Troy Wright
I am a lifetime basketball enthusiast and loved playing basketball competitively through high school. I still try and play at least 3 times a week and explore all kinds of equipment and training to keep myself on the court and continually getting better. I am a college basketball fanatic and move onto the NBA when March Madness ends.
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