Footbalance QuickFit Footbeds $45.00, footbalanceusa.com

The Good: Easy to mold, smart design that improves foot function and alignment.

The Bad: Just because you have footbeds doesn’t mean you can ignore all the other things you do to keep your feet healthy.

The Questionable: Not sure how long they’ll hold up over time.

Two years ago I thought I might never run again. I’d injured my back and could barely stand up straight some days. After months of physical therapy I’m feeling better but I’ve been proceeding with caution. I do lots of stretching and pay close attention to the gear I’m using to make sure it’s optimized for my body mechanics.

That’s a big part of the reason I was excited to try out a pair of Footbalance QuickFit footbeds. The company is well known for performing custom foot analyses and over the years has molded more than a million custom footbeds. They’ve now taken that experience and built a footbed you can mold at home.

According to Footbalance, the footbeds are designed to create healthy foot function and improve overall alignment. As I learned from my physical therapist, most of my pain was caused by being out of alignment and stressing my lower back muscles unnecessarily. With the QuickFit footbeds in my running shoes for several days I felt a difference in terms of my posture and alignment so I was less sore after both moderate street runs and longer trail runs.

There is no real replacement for a custom insole molding by an expert so I doubted myself when I tried to mold the QuickFits at home. I quickly learned I was stressed for no reason. The footbeds come larger than you need so you simply use your shoe’s insole as a guide and cut the QuickFit footbed to match. Pre-heat the oven to 175 degrees and pop the footbeds in for five minutes or until the heat indicator tells you to take them out. Then put them in your shoes and walk around for five minutes. Footbalance says you can also cut the footbeds and stick them in your shoes without heating them up. Over time they’ll eventually conform to your feet.

Footbeds are by no means a magic bullet, so I’m still careful and do everything I can to protect my back. But I will say that with the QuickFit footbeds in my shoes I’m more comfortable pushing the miles and look forward to a long summer of running.

 

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