How much height can shoe lifts add in inches? The greatest shoe lifts can be a good solution for men who want to add one or two inches.
Best Shoe Lifts
Are Shoe Lifts Noticeable?
I am sure there are many questions in your mind about shoe lifts, the most important being, will people stare at you? They are designed in a way where your heel is getting more of a boost as compared to the rest of your foot.
If your shoes are completely covering your feet and ankles, at an angle your foot will not be visible. Unless there is one person who has made it his personal mission to find out whether there is a discrepancy in your height, and crawls at foot level to observe every shoe, it is highly unlikely anyone would notice. Most people are generally too in their own heads to catch such minute details.
A few things to think about when buying shoe lifts:
- What height are you seeking? The usual choices include 1″ and 2″.
- Are Shoe lifts welcoming enough to walk in? You’ll undoubtedly need to modify your gait, but you shouldn’t feel as though you’re wearing high heels.
- Which type of footwear do you wear? Chukka boots and other footwear with some ankle coverage perform best for lifts. If not, your heel can protrude.
There are several reasons why someone would purchase these lifts. The first is wanting to be taller. An inch or two difference would not even register with most folks. Though, suspicions might arise if you suddenly show up with a five-inch increase in height.
Your reasons for buying are your own; you might want to intimidate people with your height, you might want to impress a girl who is also pretty tall herself, or you might just want to stop jumping about to reach that pesky top shelf.
Related: Top 10 Best insoles for sneakers, 6 Best Insoles for Flat Feet – Review And Buyers Guide
You might also have a medical condition due to which you could use the aid of shoe lifts. The first is that you could have a leg length discrepancy. For those who do not know, this occurs when your two limbs are not equal in length. I can bet you are now checking your legs in the mirror.
Using shoe lifts, your previously limping gait can significantly improve, which some people will point out. The same goes for if you have received a sports-related Achilles Tendon injury.
Your walking style will change. But, relieving pain is preferred over people noticing you are wearing lifts. Read on to know our best recommendations for whatsoever might be ailing you.
Best Full-Length Shoe Lifts
Burlingham’s Shoe Lifts
If you want an increase in height that is also subtle, Burlingham’s Shoe Lifts will fulfill that need. Depending on your preference, they can provide a lift between 1.25 to 2 inches. Inside the lift there is an air cushion, so it is easy to walk around all day.
They are comfortable for the arch of your foot and are designed to give a very natural feel. They are tailored for both men and women and can be cut up to fit the shape of your shoe.
You might be worried about these lifts taking room inside the shoe and reducing breathability, but it is quite the opposite as they do not allow moisture to be trapped—no more worrying about smelly feet.
During my trip, I met a few people who swore by shoe lifts. One of them in particular, was the manager at the hotel I was staying in. He was born with a leg deformity, where one leg (the right one, yes, I asked) was slightly longer than the other.
In my younger days, this was not that troublesome. But as his body grew, so did that height difference. Eventually, there was a two-inch gap in between both legs. This caused a lot of discomforts while walking, a permanent limp, and a bent posture.
He had tried many insoles and internet hacks, but once he tried these lifts, most of his troubles dissipated. His job mostly involved standing straight, and now he was able to do that without any discomfort.
Premium Height Increase Insole for Men
You might be outraged by the name which suggests that these insoles are only designed for men. Hold your anger, because it is a general opinion that these are designed more for women. They fit into narrow sizes of shoes which leads to complaints by people who have larger feet.
Premium Height Increase Insole equates height with confidence. The company promises a boost of up to 2 inches. You can easily slide them into any close-toed shoe and the additional inches will be completely undetectable to someone looking from the outside.
They are also made from premium quality materials and allow air to flow through, keeping your feet at ease.
During my stay in Denmark, a conference was happening near where I was staying. This resulted in a lot of workers being stationed at the same hotel. What I noticed was that a majority of the attendees were men. All of these men were so tall, that even I faced an inferiority complex.
Among this sea of gents, I ran across a lady struggling to keep up. Although she was in no capacity short, she felt that her height was lacking as compared to everyone else. So, she started using Rise Insoles. With a few extra inches, she felt as if she was transformed.
She no longer felt like people were looking down on her. To her, people used their height to exert authority, but now that she was at the same level as the rest, her confidence soared.
SOL3 Insole Shoe Lift Inserts
There could be some occasions where you might want to look very tall, or some in which a small increase would also be sufficient. SOL3 Insole Shoe Lift Inserts come in three layers. The layers range from a lift of 1 inch to over 2 inches, when all three are combined.
There is the first cushion layer to provide comfort while walking. Under this, two other layers can also be added if the need is felt. An important disclaimer to be kept in mind is that these insoles should not be worn if you are planning to do some athletic activity.
They also cannot substitute for orthopedic insoles mean to correct an injury. They can be used casually by inserting them into kind of sneakers or boots.
I have this friend who has an eternal problem, which is destroying his life, according to him. Whenever there is a concert near town, no matter whether he enjoys the artist or not, he has to attend it to support the band.
The only issue is that his height is a little on the shorter side. Now, I am not saying shorter people cannot enjoy concerts. But he has this bad luck that wherever he is standing, someone taller comes and stands in front him. He tries to jump around, change his position by clawing through the crowd, or even ask the person to move.
No matter what he tries, another tall person ends up blocking his view. He then got these lifts and started using them at maximum height at concerts. Now he is the tall guy that everyone complains is in their way.
Ailaka Elastic Shock Absorbing Sports Shoe Insoles
No one will actually see these, but the lifts resemble actual joggers, especially the neon color scheme with honeycombs at the bottom. Sadly, these will just go inside your shoe. Unless you are daring enough to put inserts inside sandals.
The physics of that, you can work out yourself. These insoles are specifically designed if you have an Achilles Tendon related injury. This usually occurs in people who do strenuous exercise, such as exercising for a prolonged period of time.
Due to this damage, there is very persistent pain along the back of your leg and ankle. These insoles provide no extra weight and absorb the stress as well as shocks while walking. It keeps your heel in place and gives it support during any physical exertion. So, if you want to get back to exercising without hurting yourself, these insoles are for you.
Sports-related injuries can be very painful and take a long time to heal. You can rupture a muscle, twist your ankle, or even have a sprain. I met a woman in Denmark whom I would see slowly jogging every morning, around the block.
Observing this for a while, I finally decided to ask her why she would be jogging so slowly. Turns out, she used to run daily for at least two hours, and ended up severely damaging her Achilles Tendon. For a while she could not even walk right.
She had got Ailaka Elastic Shock Absorbing Sports Shoe Insoles recently and noticed that placing these inside her running shoes helped reduce her pain greatly. She could now walk with support, and eventually, go back to her fitness routine, with the aid of these insoles.
Lexeby Height Increase Insole
By far, these are the only insoles that provide the maximum height increase. With a minimum of 1.2 inches, to a maximum of 3.5 inches, with 4 separate layers, each providing additional height. So, if you are 5”9, and want to reach your dream height of being over 6 feet, these insoles will work spectacularly for you.
Please note though, since these are four layers, they will take up a lot of space inside your shoes. Make sure that your boots have a high top. If you insert all of these layers, and then cannot fit your foot in, realize you might need to use a different shoe, or take some layers out.
They can even be used as orthotic insoles, which are used to correct some defect in height, or pain in heels.
All of my wife’s friends have an immense hatred for heels. Mainly, they have had very bad experiences while wearing them. One had her foot stuck in a gutter grate, one slipped on a tiled floor and embarrassed herself in front of a wedding procession, and one sprained her ankle because she wanted to try running in heels.
They have all made a pact that they will never wear heels again. But with that pact, they now miss having a longer height. When they discovered these insoles, they were overjoyed.
They use these inserts at maximum height and exert their dominance over everyone else. Plus, with closed-toed boots, chances of injury are minimized.
Best Half-Length Shoe Lifts
Calto Half Elevator Insole
First, let me introduce a new medical term to you, which you might not be aware of: Scoliosis- this is when the spine curves right before puberty is hit. People with such an affliction need to keep their backs straight, and to not put much stress on it.
The Calto Half Elevator Insoles provide balance while walking, even using only one insert. Since the height is only half an inch, there is no discomfort, or an added pressure of an extended heel.
They support not only the arch of the foot but also relieve pressure from the Achilles Tendon. The best part is that they do not require any extra roomy shoes, they can easily be inserted inside loafers or sneakers as well.
So, one day, I was enjoying an exotic coffee in a small nook in Denmark. As a nosy busybody, I noticed this young man wearing a neck brace with back support. Yet, as I gave him a once-over, I realized that he was easily moving around in sneakers.
Obviously, I had to ask what had happened. Turns out, a few months earlier he had been in a car accident. There were several injuries to his spine, hip, and neck.
After a long time in bed, he was finally allowed to start moving around a bit. Right from the start, he had purchased these insoles. They helped in walking by reducing some pressure off his spine. They are sturdy, comfortable, and durable.
Warwick Enterprises Adjust A Lift Heel Lift
Time for another medical lesson. At least by the end of this article, you will leave with some knowledge about leg related conditions. Bone Spurs: these are protrusions that form along the edges of your bones. They are normally found where one bone meets another i.e. your joints.
They are caused by inflammation and in turn cause pain to the bearer. Such spurs can also appear at the heels of your feet and hurt while walking. The Warwick Enterprises Adjust A Lift Heel Lift (yes, I agree, it is quite a mouthful to pronounce), are devised for clinical disorders.
They come in a pack of 3 layers, and all 3 layers provide a minimal height, for maximum stress relief. Each insole is 1/8 inches thick and is suitable to place inside most shoes.
While traveling, you form attachments to certain people who have been going in the same direction as you. My case in particular, my seatmate on the airplane ended up also being my next-door neighbor in my hotel. His name was Hammer, and he lovingly called me Nail.
He had bone spurs on his heels that put pressure on his muscles. He had no time to treat it properly since he had to travel. His doctor had recommended these insoles and according to him, they worked quite well.
Due to these inserts, his Achilles Tendon did not have to stretch that much, and he could adjust the layers according to his level of pain while walking.
Dr. Foot’s Height Increase Insoles
I wish I had a doctor for my feet named Dr. Foot. Can you imagine the fates that would have to align to make that happen? Also, as a man, I am also not ashamed to admit that I love the color pink. Especially that soft baby pink the sky becomes at times.
These inserts also sport the same color and it makes me want to glue them to my slippers so everyone can see them. They are made from gel and foam, which can be equated to having pillows on your feet while walking.
They even come in separate sizes, depending on the kind of lift you require. It can be 0.6”, 1”, or 1.4” increase in height. They do not slip inside your shoe and will not start smelling no matter how sweaty your feet get.
Every person has a different set of values when it comes to searching for their significant other. Some people want loyalty, some want the exact opposite of them, and so on. When it comes to physical traits, my friend Jennifer takes the cake.
She does not care about any other aspect, only that her soulmate should be the exact same height as her. She had recently met a guy at a café, with whom she instantly hit it off with. He was perfect. Except that he was exactly an inch taller than her.
She decided to skirt around fate and bought these height increase soles, the 1-inch ones to be exact. Now she feels like the two were truly meant for each other.
Quxiang Height Increase Insole
If you ask me to pronounce the name Quxiang, I would probably do it wrong so I will not even try. Instead, I will refer to them as 3-layered height increase insoles. The first insert will give an increase of 1.2 inches, the second inserted under will provide 1.8 inches, and the third will give 2.4 inches, which is the maximum height you can achieve with these.
It is recommended that you use bigger sized shoes for these insoles. However, do not try to do strenuous physical activity wearing these insoles, as after a point they would start to cause discomfort.
My friend Chris has made it his life mission to find the girl of his dreams at someone else’s wedding. Excluding the bride herself, I hope. Since most girls wear heels to a wedding, he felt like he was at a disadvantage.
He ordered these lifts to make him appear taller, to match the girls doing the same. While he still has not his perfect girl, his confidence levels have increased a lot.
Fumarst Height Increase Insoles
How this company decided of making each insole 0.235 inches, I do not know. Why that specific number? Furmast Height Increase Soles come in 4 layers in total. How many you use is completely your choice.
They are made from silicone and can be used to support leg discrepancies, Achilles Tendon injuries, any sort of pain in the heel or ankle, and even bone spurs.
They will support you from climbing the stairs to attending salsa class. And when you feel like they are starting to stink, they can be washed with ease.
The cleaning service lady at my hotel has to move around all day. She started experiencing a lot of pain in her heel while trying to work. Plus, she an extra boost to help her clean those hard-to-reach places.
She ordered these insoles and just placed them inside her sneakers before work. Her walking was cushioned, they would not slide off, plus they did not have the hassle of going into a specific right or left shoe.
How much height do shoe lifts add explained (video)
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