This can be as part of a bike fit, or as a service in its own right.
The foot is one of the most important areas of a bike fit, and deserves the right support in the shoe. This will not only help avoid inflammation/injuries of the foot, but also aid in ensuring that the pedal stroke is correct too.
I use an Australian brand of insoles, G8 Performance, which I have found to be leaps and bounds ahead of competitors at a comparable price point.
When fitted correctly, they provide both the transverse and longitudinal arches of the foot.
This is really important when dealing with cyclists doing any kind of serious milage. If you didn't know already, the arches are built up of bones called metatarsals and tarsals, supported by ligaments and fascia and covered in adipose tissue.
When allowed to flatten, these arches can cause issues further up the leg, most common in the knees, but occasionally into the hips and back too.
G8 insoles provide me with a method of dealing with "flat feet" so to speak, and bring everything back into its correct alignment.
One of the main reasons they work so well is that they don't just work as a quick fix solution. The arch longitudinal arch support has enough flex in it to allow the foot to stretch and strengthen with time, whilst providing ample support to keep alignment correct.
They also include a metatarsal pad which spreads the metatarsal bones (the bones at the start of your toes) whilst the arch lifts them slightly. This promotes blood flow, which helps to combat one of the most common cycling ailments, numb toes.
Sorry for the Wednesday morning science lesson, but I wanted to share some interesting facts with you!
As far as I'm aware, I'm the only person to use G8 insoles locally, due to their fairly specialist nature, but hope to see more people using them soon due to their unrivalled results!
As always, don't forget to check out www.yorkshirebikefitting.co.uk for information on all of the services that I provide as part of my bike fits in Leeds.
Thanks,
Stephen
