FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Progression
Questions about how progression works for our insoles.
To get the best results, you should wear them anytime you walk or run or are wearing shoes. We suggest using your insole in all the shoes you’ll use for running, working, and casually walking so that your feet don’t begin reverting back to their inactive state and inhibit your results.
You should use each level for 3 weeks. That's the time it takes to build muscle and fully progress.
If you place the new level in and you feel uncomfortable, we suggest wearing your previous level for another week and trying again.
Each level provides a different amount of stimulus to the nerves in your mid-arch. All helping your
proprioceptive nerves.
When we asked Dr. Stuart Gordon if users can stop using Barefoot Science insoles after level seven, he says:
“No. The body can only respond to the stimulation it receives.”
He elaborated that when you stop using the level 7, your feet will eventually degrade and go back to being weaker. If you have problems that are fixed by the insoles, those problems can come back when your muscles are degrading.
It is like bodybuilding, if you stop working out, eventually you will lose that muscle strength.
Trimming & Sizing
Questions about how to properly trim or figure out which size is best for you.
If you have removable insoles already in your shoe, follow these steps:
Step 1: You should remove your current insoles and place it in front of your new BarefootScience insole.
Step 2: Trace around the old insole.
Step 3: Grab some scissors and start trimming that outline.
Now your new insole should match and fit perfectly!
If you don’t have removable insoles, it would be best to go with a 3/4 length insole.
But if you want the full size, take these steps:
Step 1: Trace your foot onto the new insole so you can ensure your toes can easily rest on it.
Step 2: Either trim the insole that is in your shoe or place your new insole above it. There can be a sticky substance underneath the original insole and if you are going to move your new BarefootScience insole into different shoes, it can make things messy.
Step 3: Wear your shoes and start strengthening your feet!
If you are looking for a full-size shoe, you’ll need to think about your shoe shape and if the same insole will be able to fit comfortably in different shoes. If not, you may want to think of getting a 3/4 insole because they don’t affect the toe box and can be easily transferable to different shoes.
The best technique to measure your shoe size is to learn your true foot size. If you have several shoes that fit, but are in different sizes, it can make things complicated. You can measure your foot by going to a shoe store and measuring it there to see your foot’s true size, or you can do it at home with this resource.
If your shoes have a wider toe box it is probably better to go with a 3/4 insole to have less problems arise. Additionally, if you want to make sure the insole will fit and transfer easily in any of your shoes, a 3/4 length would be best.
If you use one shoe for everything and you can get a size that will fit properly, you should get a full-length insole.
How are Our Insoles Different
Questions about our products and how they are unique.
You will receive the insole plus your inserts. Depending on which product is purchased, you will receive 4, 6, or 7 level inserts.
The dome shape in insole sits in the the mid-arch of the foot. Beneath the dome is a socket for your inserts. The inserts act as levels of progression and increase the stimulus to your proprioceptive system through plantar surface of the foot.
"The function of your proprioception system is to tell every bone in your body, where they are and what is a long site it" says Dr. Gordon.
With the benefits of the inserts increasing the stimulus to your proprioception system, your body will be better at responding to stimuli and be able to understand stimuli faster and in safer ways.
This means that your body will be better communicating how to turn or react in safer manners leading to less injury and your muscles will be more prepared to support your joints.
There are a few key factors for performance: efficient running, contact time, symmetry of left and right side contact time.
If you are asymmetric, it can lead to compensation and eventual injury.
By helping your balance and overall symmetry, our insoles can lower that risk of injury and help you perform better.
They are extremely comfortable, soft, and pliable. You can pop them in and go.
The normal responses that Dr. Gordon receives are; “Oh, I feel taller.” With the insoles affecting the posterior chain leading to posture, that pretty normal.
“I feel good, I feel weird, I feel different” it can be described as like walking barefoot in the sand.
Another feeling is like there is a small stone in your shoe. This happens if your foot nerves aren't that strong or haven't been stimulated very often.
If this is something that happens when you first try them, we recommend that you remove the level one plug and just start with the socket.
The unique levels offer different amounts of stimulus to your feet.
Switching From Standard Orthotics
Questions about switching over from other orthotic products to our insoles.
Standard orthotics are meant to support, while our insoles help with revitalizing and retaining your weakened muscles.
“Start wearing them and just keep wearing them. Start with plug level number 1 and if that is too uncomfortable, start without the plug.” -Dr. Stuart Gordon
In short, the best way to transfer into them is to wear them often.
At a marathon event Stuart Gordon was asked by a participant if she should wear her orthotics to race. He asked if she was wearing them often and she said that they were uncomfortable. She then asked if she could wear a pair of Barefoot Science insoles and he said, “You can put them on and you could run the race now.” After the race she ran up to Stuart and gave him “a hug because she did a personal best with no pain.”