You know it feels different being on concrete, different in a hurtful way. Standing on concrete all day with limited shock absorption on an insole can help with comfort and fatigue. Why do concrete floors hurt your feet? Concrete is a material that has no give. This rigidity impacts the body. Regularly standing or moving on concrete floors can cause backaches, knee pain, swelling legs, and aching feet. It’s almost unavoidable to run, walk or stand on concrete, but what’s avoidable is the pain and sore feet you go home to nurse at the end of the day. How? Simple, use the best insoles for concrete. Don’t have the time to read our in-depth guide below?
Here’s the summary and selection of insoles for concrete:
Best Insoles for Standing on Concrete
Best Insoles for Walking on Concrete
Best Insoles for Running on Concrete
What Type of Insoles Do You Need for Walking and Running on Concrete?
Thing is, concrete floors were not constructed with your feet in mind, but some insoles were constructed for concrete floors with your feet in mind and those are the insoles this article reviews.
The best type of insoles for walking and running on concrete are those that are flexible, but firm. They should move with the reflexes of your feet but maintain their form while at it.
While concrete floors are extremely durable, they are hard making them uncomfortable floors to stand, walk or run on. Their benefits make them used in most spaces, so you’ll have regular contact with them.
Sometimes, the solution to this would be to get a pad the floor with a softer surface, and that’s where carpets come in. But this is not applicable in public spaces, leaving you with the initial challenge of finding a way to prevent feet and back injuries that could arise from walking or running on concrete.
Research shows that standing or walking on concrete flooring for long causes back pain, varicose veins, swollen legs and sore feet. If you work in places where you must stand for hours a concrete floor, you must have experienced more than one of the above-listed discomforts.
Athletes, or people who find themselves running on concrete flooring regularly, experience worse discomfort or injuries especially on the knee and joints. This is partly because, as my podiatrist told me when I experienced severe ankle ache, on impact with the ground more pressure than should be is exerted on the joints as a result of the floor’s hard surface texture.
It’s usually recommended that if you need to stand for long hours, you alternate the body’s weight on both feet by placing one on a stool from time to time. As much as this helps, it’s best you replaced the insoles of your shoes with the best insoles for concrete.
This article reviews the best insoles for standing on concrete, walking on concrete and running on concrete.
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Let’s start with;
The Best Insoles for Standing on Concrete
Dr. Scholl’s Massaging Gel Insoles
When you get home, the first thing you want to do about your feet after taking off your shoes is massage them. So why don’t you get yourself an insole that does this all day already?
Every part of the foot was considered while designing this insole and its features reflect this.
Specially built for all-day shock absorption and cushioning for hard surfaces, this insole features cooling vents, reinforced arch support, responsive wave cushioning and extra forefoot cushioning.
The extra forefoot cushioning protects the sensitive ball of the foot by offering it a soft-landing base. The ball of the foot is the padded portion underneath the head of the metatarsal bones.
Pain is often experienced in that part of the foot because the joints constantly experience friction. The extra forefoot cushioning on this insole reduces the friction on the ball of the foot by absorbing pressure on impact.
There isn’t enough room for air circulation within your shoes. However, the cooling vents keep your feet dry and cool. This can keep your feet and shoes from developing an offensive smell.
You know the arch and heels receive the most pressure while the feet land and come up during motion and even while at rest. As the name implies, the reinforced arch support does support the arch. It is called reinforced because it is extra-padded for extra comfort.
Now to the feature which gives this insole its name- massaging gel. The massaging gel runs from the arch to the heels and provides all-day shock absorption while giving the feet a massage-effect.
Dr. Scholl’s Lower Back Pain Insoles
If you’re usually on your feet for a good part of the day, there’s 99.9% chance that you suffer or will suffer from lower back pain. Dr. Scholl’s knows this, that’s why it applies Shock Guard Technology in this insole.
The shock guard technology treats pain from the ground up, for immediate and all-day relief by jarring the shock at its source. It is to prevent lower back pain so there won’t be a need to treat it.
Most people do not know that lower back pain could be caused by standing for long, especially on hard surfaces. Now you do, you want to get this insole to prevent it.
The insoles for concrete comprise two parts- the general part which covers the full length of the feet and reduces the impact as you move, and the shock guard. The second part is the shock guard and it covers the heels and part of the arch. It absorbs pain-inducing shock and provides relief for lower back pain.
These insoles are suitable for use across a variety of footwear including casual shoes, sneakers, work boots/ shoes.
Clinically, it’s been proven to prevent and relieve arch pain, relieves heel pain from plantar fasciitis, relieve osteoarthritis pain in the knees, feet and hips. It has a carrying capacity of 200-300lbs.
Related: Best Insoles for Big and Heavy Guys in 2022
There’s a 60-day satisfaction guarantee for these insoles. Dr. Scholl’s promises to give you your money back if you’re not satisfied with the product.
Physix Gear Full Length Orthotic Inserts
As low-profile insoles, they occupy a negligible volume of space in the shoes but have a high impact on the feet. These insoles serve as shock absorption and cushioning for foot disorders and injuries such as plantar fasciitis, running, flat feet, heel spurs, iliotibial band syndrome, Achilles Tendonitis, ball of the foot pain, etc.
The Physix Gear Full-Length Orthotic Inserts features a low-profile design (which we discussed as the introduction), dual-layer foam, anti-microbial top fabric, and deep heel cradle.
The dual-layer foam is made of EVA foam base and features a variable cushioning technology that provides durable comfort to the heel and ball of the foot. Its anti-microbial top fabric kills odor-causing bacteria, thereby keeping the feet and shoes smelling fresh all day.
We earlier stated that the insole cushions foot disorders such as Achilles Tendonitis and plantar fasciitis. It does this by re-aligning the feet to control excess pronation. This results in improved stability (courtesy of its deep heel), balance and reduced fatigue. In the long run, it helps to maintain correct posture and reduce the risk of lower back pain.
With this insole’s features and benefits, you’ll discover that it’s no ordinary insole. It’s also an orthotic. Orthotics are medical devices that are prescribed to be worn inside the shoes to correct biomechanical foot problems. This insole does that and more.
The insoles are designed to be used by both men and women.
Best Insoles for Walking on Concrete
Dr. Scholl’s Fitness Walking Insoles
Recall that we’ve earlier reviewed 2 insoles from Dr. Scholl’s. However, as an added advantage, this insole reduces muscle soreness.
Muscle soreness is the pain and stiffness felt in the muscles and among other things, it could be caused by walking on hard surfaces such as concrete floors. Usually, you could gently stretch and massage the part that feels sore to reduce the soreness, but this will only provide a temporary solution. A longer-lasting solution would be to get Dr. Scholl’s fitness walking insoles.
This insole has stimulating nodes that disperse pressure in areas that have the highest impact while walking. It also cushions the feet, serving as a flexible springboard for the arch.
Apart from the general cushioning the insoles provide, there are specific spots this insole targets and provides extra cushioning for. They are the heel and forefoot.
The heel, because it receives so much pressure during movement and the forefoot to reduce the friction that occurs during movement in the ball of the foot.
That’s not all.
The ActivPerform technology of this insole protects your feet, joints and lower back from shock and reduces stress and strain in those areas as well. Its superior cushioning helps to reduce muscle fatigue in the feet and legs. This helps you attain more strides comfortably. For maximum comfort and protection for the ball of the foot and toes, the insole’s toe bed is made flexible.
This is quite beneficial as a stiff toe bed will make movement more painful, while a flexible toe bed will make movement less stressful.
Columbia Men’s Enduro Insoles
Let’s skip the ‘techy’ design of this insole and discuss what it has to offer.
The top layer of this insole is made of 100% PRFRM thermo-mouldable foam. This makes it multi-directional and easily adapt to the shape of the feet, while providing support, cushioning and absorbing impact while in motion. This improves the performance of your footwear, as it (the footwear) will serve you better.
More about the PRFRM thermo-mouldable foam:
This foam molds to the unique bone structure and shape of each foot, that’s why we earlier stated that it easily adapts to the shape of the feet.
The insole also has a thermoplastic inner shank that supports the foot’s natural range of motion. For extra support, Columbia Men adds a removable thermo-molded insert. These inserts hug your sole to provide fitted cushion and support.
To keep your feet cool and dry, it has cooling vents and a layer of breathable fabric that wicks moisture off the surface of your feet and the insoles.
Another benefit of investing in this insole is its versatility. These insoles can be used on different types and styles of footwear, from sneakers to casual shoes, boots, etc. They come in unisex sizing ranging from size 4 to 15.
With this insole, you are assured of all-day comfort, irrespective of the texture of the floor surface you’re walking on.
Dr. Scholl’s Sore Soles Orthotics
It’s not like we’re helplessly in love with Dr. Scholl products (or maybe we are) but we just love the quality the products offer us.
This insole provides pain relief, especially for sore soles. Sore soles are usually caused by staying for prolonged periods on your feet, shoes that fit poorly and long walks. Sore soles, if not prevented or treated could lead to more serious foot issues. That’s why you should get this insole.
The insole has stimulating noodles, shock guard technology and offers full length cushioning.
This is how it works. The stimulating noodles are spread across the full length of the insole and it provides extra massaging action to invigorate your feet all day.
The shock guard is placed on the heels of the insole and it absorbs pain-inducing shock at the heel to prevent it from traveling up your leg. Let’s put it this way- it nips the pain by the bud.
The full-length cushioning it provides is to ensure the entirety of your feet feels comfortable while in motion.
Dr. Scholl’s Sore Soles Orthotics has been clinically proven to provide immediate and all-day relief by treating the source of the pain. It’s designed for casual shoes, sneakers, work shoes/ boots. It’s advised that you replaced these insoles every six months or at the first sign of wear.
Dr. Scholl’s offers a 90-day money back guarantee for this product as far as you can provide the product’s packaging and original sales receipt. This is to tell you how confident the manufacturers are in their product.
Best Insoles for Running on Concrete
Running on concrete hits harder than walking or standing on concrete. In other words, the negative effects it may have on your feet, knees, hips and back will be worse. Therefore, we were extra meticulous in choosing these three insoles for running on concrete.
Timberland Anti-Fatigue Insoles
The feet bear the weight of the body while you are standing or in motion. To help reduce this burden, insoles absorb the shock and cradle the feet.
The Timberland PRO Men’s Anti-Fatigue Insole features an anti-microbial top cover fabric, ortholite top layer, inverted cones, and a dynamic arch. Each of these features has unique functions, making this insole highly recommendable for running on concrete.
The inverted cone structures underneath the insoles provide resilient support, absorbs shock, and convert the absorbed shock to energy for your feet. Talk about an energy converting insole.
It has an antiseptic top cover designed to kill odor-causing bacteria and regulate the body’s temperature. It regulates the body’s temperature using its rebound open-cell breathable foam to wick moisture away from the surface of the insoles- beneath your feet. This equally keeps the feet fresh and prevents the shoes from smelling.
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The ortholite top layer provides premium comfort and moisture management while its dynamic arch is designed to adapt to all foot shapes. To assure durability, the base of the insole is made synthetic.
All thanks to its anatomically contoured footbed, it provides comfort for people who need to wear shoes for long hours of the day especially against unfavorable floor surfaces.
Dr. Scholl’s Sport Insoles
Where other insoles offer shock absorption, this offers superior shock absorption.
Produced especially for sports activities, the insole reduces muscle fatigue, reduces stress on the lower body joints, protects your feet, knees and lower back from shock during a variety of athletic activities.
Dr. Scholl’s Sport Insoles has a rugged construction to withstand the impact and forces exerted on the feet while running or engaging in other sports activities.
With its responsive wave cushioning, absorbs shock, provides a high rebound and all-day cushioning of the feet for guaranteed comfort. This cushioning is placed under the ball of the feet, in between the arch and the toe box because of the slight protrusion in that part of the feet which causes friction. Another feature of this insole is the Activperform Technology.
The Activperform technology is a flexible arch shell that executes motion control with added lateral stability and improves ease in stopping and cutting.
In simpler terms, what this technology does is promote the flexibility of your feet and improve on its reflexes. This is vital for athletes who engage in activities that require speed and sharp reflexes.
One more thing.
This insole also has massaging gel. The massaging gel does what its name implies- massages, and is placed under the heel and ball of the foot.
This insole can be trimmed to size by the user following the trimming instructions and outline.
Sof Sole Men’s Airr Insole
This insole combines pain relief functions with anti-bacterial and massaging functions.
The forefoot enjoys this massaging function, especially because of the gel, which also provides maximum cushioning.
The fabric of the insoles for concrete adopts Coolmax technology, making the insole breathable, wicking moisture away from the surface of the insole and the sole of the foot to keep the feet and insole dry. This helps to regulate the temperature of the body.
To optimize the comfort of this insole, it is treated to fight against smell-causing bacteria. So, you’ll be right to say the fabric of this insole is anti-microbial.
Air bubbles are trapped under the heel and arch of this insole, a method Skydex technology uses to absorb energy to enhance comfort, shield you from impact and lessen vibration-related fatigue. It also converts the impact felt to kinetic energy, promoting ease of movement.
To promote the versatility of this insole Sof Sole made the arch neutral, meaning it’s suitable for any arch type.
The footbed of the insole is made of polyurethane- a flexible and highly resistant material. The choice of this material makes the insole durable.
You’ll find that these insoles for concrete has a low profile and will provide you with great comfort while running on concrete.
Insoles for concrete explained (video)
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