My boots/shoes with inserts

[sscotty727]

All,

I know I get flack from wearing wedge boots/shoes and then adding inserts in them.

Anyway, I took pics of some of my boots and shoes to show you how they look and where my heel is with the insert. Hope you enjoy them.

Scotty

These are my new non-work/weekend boots. These are the ones I had on in CVS (where the woman seemed to notice my feet and kinda turned as i walked by) except I had long jeans with them.

This isn't the best angle to see the shoes (it is hard to lean down and snap a picture of your shoes with a camera phone while wearing them). I wear these to work most of the time. I know there isn't alot of backing in the shoe, but the stretch band on the sides over the front of the foot holds my foot in secure.

I don't remember where I got these, Walmart maybe? I wear these when the snow is thick and I need traction.

[sscotty727]

Update: I edited the pictures so you can see them side by side.

[Dawn HH]

Sscotty727:-) You seem to have great luck with your inserts. They are working for you nicely. Cheers--- Dawn HH

[sscotty727]

Hey Dawn, Yeah, some work fine, some are hit and miss and take tweeking. The problem is that it is hard to find a wedge boot/shoe with a decent heel height. Most give you either a lower heel (2.5 to 3") or they give you a nice heel (4") but then give you a thick platform, so that the effective heel is still only 2.5 to 3". I hate having to use the inserts, but until I find a boot/shoe that gives me a decent heel height (4" or higher) with no platform, I will have to use the inserts to give me the desired effect. Scotty

[sscotty727]

Ok, hope this better illustrates my wedge heels. I wear these to work everyday.

Scotty

[chris100575]

Doesn't it feel as though your foot isn't in the shoe properly when wearing the inserts? Apart from that I can see it being a good way to stealthily gain some extra height. Duo have a pair of flat boots in their range this year that have a hidden wedge built in BTW. Chris

[dr1819]

I have a couple pair of boots that were too loose in the girth around my foot. A contoured insert (not a lift, though), solves that problem quite well.

[Rockpup]

The fit with inserts depends on the fit prior to adding the inserts. I've tried adding 2" wedge inserts made from an old pair of wedge sneakers into my work boots. Of course the day I tried that was also a day I was working in a Fed Courthouse, so I had zero chance to back out once I started. They worked ok, but I'd have prefered a softer material for the wedge.

[sscotty727]

Doesn't it feel as though your foot isn't in the shoe properly when wearing the inserts? Apart from that I can see it being a good way to stealthily gain some extra height.

Duo have a pair of flat boots in their range this year that have a hidden wedge built in BTW.

Chris

Not at all, they are very comfortable. The stretchable materal of the front of the foot holds my foot in fine. I guess it feels more like wearing a wedge mule.

As far as flat boots, taking something flat and getting a 3 to 4 inch heel is far too much of a lift. Besides, depending on the shoes/boot, you have to be careful how much lift you add. I split the sole on two pair of boots last year trying that. These shoes have a nice solid sole which allows me to increase the height.

Another thing you have to consider with boots, the more height you add the tighter the zipper. Split a few zippers that way as well

Scotty

[chris100575]

I'd agreee with you that trying to get three or four inches out of a flat boot would be well-nigh impossible. The Duo ones are only a about a 1.5" lift, and they're designed for it. Only mentioned it as an aside really. I'm leaning towards a pair of wedge boots actually just as a bit of a change. I've not seen a "must have" pair yet, but I'm keeping my eyes open. Chris

[sscotty727]

I posted this in another thread, but here is how I did the insert for the shoes pictured. They are very comfortable and the EZWalk makes it feel smooth instead of bumpy if just the insert alone was used. The one thing I did a little different than as decribed below was to add a little more padding under the wood to give it a little more of an angle (the dark blue insert on the EZWalk kept pressing into my arch and would hurt a little after a while. The additional angle solved the problem for me).

Ok, those that know me, know I have been trying to figure out a way to increase the heel hight of my wedges by using inserts. I have had many failed attempts, but I think I have finally cracked the nut, atleast for these shoes.

About a year and a half ago, I made this wedge heel platform out of wood that I got from the local hobby store (basically an oval that I cut, carved and filed into shape). Anyway, that gave me a good lift, but I had no arch support, so walking with them in after a while made my feel hurt. I tried

adding various things over it with no luck.

I finally gave up and tried using gel inserts. They work great (as I posted in previous threads) but again, too much sinking as you stand and walk. At times I almost feel like I am standing in sand.

So I was about to just give up on the concept of an insert until I came across this "EZWalk" insert at the local drug store.

I know they are designed to give arch support to flat shoes, BUT, they are rigid enough and give the perfect arch support.

So once again, I went back and pulled my custom wood heel out.

Here you can see the thickness.

Ok, I now place the wood insert in the shoe like this.

Next, I place the EZ Walk insert overtop of the wood insert. The result looks like this.

Here is the final pic with me pointing to were my heel is at.

With the EZ Walk, I get the arch support and the right curve for the heel. The wood insert gives me the amount of lift I am looking for. Matter of fact, if you look closely at the front part of the shoe, you can see the EZWalk and the outline of the new curve of the shoe.

I had them on all weekend and all day at work and they feel GREAT! I've even worn them with and without trouser socks and again, feels perfect!

If anyone wants more details or has questions, feel free to ask here or PM me.

Scotty

[dr1819]

Suuuuuhhhhweeeeettttt!!!!!!!!

[jmc]

Sscotty -- Do your heels slide up and out of the shoe as you walk? It looks like there is not much of the shoe left to hug the heel with all that space taken up by the insert.

[sscotty727]

Hey JMC, About the only problem I have (and I get this with wedges too) is sometimes my pantleg will slip into the shoe as I am walking. I think I need to wear longer pants to avoid this, but oh well. But no, there is a small lip in the shoe (yeah, not as much backing as originally there), plus the EZWalk inserts kinda indent and form a kinda "cup" (for lack of a better word) so my heel doesn't feel like it going to slide out. Lastly, because of the angle, my foot slides forward and down instead of out. That probably helps as well. The shoe doesn't feel like it going to come off because of the stretch bands on either side of the shoe. Perhaps this design will only work on these style of shoe. BUT, I did it to two identical pair. Just one newer pair I wear to work and an older pair (that I experemented with NUMEROUS inserts) that I keep for weekend/evening wear. Neither give me trouble and both have miles of wear with inserts on them. Hope this helps. Scotty