Review: Formthotics Custom Orthotics

Disclaimer: I was provided Formthotics to try at no charge. The opinions in this article are my own.

Formthotics Custom Orthotics are distributed in Singapore by FeetUp

You can find out more at FeetUp or visit their Instagram page: @feetupsg 

They also have an online store: Shopee FeetUp 

I was approached at the beginning of September to try out the Formthotics custom insoles. Now, I will state upfront that I am not someone who uses stability shoes. All my shoes are neutral. Some are more neutral than others, e.g. Adidas Prime X vs Brooks Hyperion Tempo. That said, I have gone through enough gait analysis over the years (3x by different versions of ASICS Foot ID, and 1x by Adidas) that I know I do have some asymmetry in my gait, and that I do have some late stage forefoot pronation especially in the left foot. 

Ironically, I have never had any injuries involving the feet before (knock on wood). I struggled with ITB Syndrome 2x before (both presenting with right knee pain), the last being in ~2012, and I have had high hamstring strains and pes anserine bursitis in the left leg.  

That said, I am always open to new ideas when it comes to injury prevention, and I think keeping an open mind is a big part of improving as a runner, and a physician. 

So back to the insoles, I received them in the mail and promptly set about bedding them in without any pre-molding to my foot shape. This essentially involved doing a couple of runs in the insoles, to get used to them, and pick up on any fit issues. 

As with after-market insoles, you do have to trim them down to your specific size. If you have done this before, you can skip on to the next paragraph. Otherwise, the easiest thing to do is get the insole from the shoe you are planning to use the orthotics in, and mark out the outline of the old insole on the orthotic. This is only necessary to do at the front as you will only trim the front. I do this by lining up the new and old insole bottom-to-bottom, with the heels lined up. Then i use a pen or market to outline where the excess orthotic sticks out. After that it's just a matter of cutting away the excess. The orthotic material is fairly rigid so it's actually quite easy to cut into. You don't need any special cutter. I just used a pair of scissors to get the job done. 

In the initial breaking-in stage, I paid special attention to any sources of friction, especially at the arch. I know from past experience that I have low arches and tend not to get along well with insoles or shoes with very built up arch support. Essentially, I started with the thickest socks in my arsenal, and gradually worked my way to thinner ones. I do notice a little bit of rubbing at mid-arch with my thinnest socks, but it's tolerable. I still prefer medium thickness socks best with Formthotics so I don't have to worry about the rubbing. 

On 22nd Sept, I went over to meet Dr Leong at his office. Dr Leong runs the distributorship for Formthotics, and I see from the photos on the wall, that Mok Ying Ren has tried his insoles before. During the consultation, which lasted about 1.5 hours, Initial assessments were done with me standing barefoot. Some measurements were taken of my pelvic tilt, angles of the Achilles and a few other metrics. Some assessments of toe mobility and strength were also done. The molding part was fairly straightforward and similar to what I had previously done for my Bont cycling shoes. You basically put the insoles in an oven to heat it up, then you stand in the insoles to mold the insole to your foot shape. Subsequently, measurements are taking again. This time, it's done with the insoles in the shoes and wearing socks. 

For me personally, medial heel wedges were put on both insoles, to add support for the subtalar joint and prevent the arch from spilling medially. This seems to make my Achilles tendon more vertical, at least while standing. I did a couple of test strides to make sure the adjustments didn't cause any discomfort, and that was the gist of the consultation. 

The rest of it was down to me putting miles in the insoles to see how I would get on with them, and if necessary, go back for further adjustments. 

There are a couple of points I want to make here. Firstly, not all shoes can handle orthotic insoles. They are thicker and stiffer than your regular Ortholite or EVA insole, so you will need to be cognizant of this

going in. Serious runners would know that the majority of insoles are glued in and very thin for their racing shoes, so orthotics are pretty much a no-no for them. I see the utility for orthotics to be in the daily trainers, where you are clocking your highest mileage. Also, orthotics are not just meant for running shoes. You can use them in your work shoes or walking shoes too. Dr Leong is a big believer in preventing injuries and downstream musculoskeletal issues associated with poor form or posture, so if you have a job that requires you to spend long hours on your feet, then i highly encourage you to consider using them in your work shoes as well, shoe permitting of course. 

Custom orthotics are never cheap, but they are pretty durable compared to your much more perishable shoes. I'm told that the insoles should last you a couple of years of use, so when you consider that running shoes can be worn down in a matter of months, then the cost of the insoles isn't really that significant.

For me, I wanted to see if the orthotics would solve some hotspot issues I have with certain running shoes, namely the Nike Zoom Invincible, and the Skechers MaxRoad 4 (OG, not 4+). In both these shoes, I experience burning on the insides of the first metatarsophalangeal joint when running, and it is a huge source of frustration for me, because they have incredibly good rides otherwise. The short answer is YES, they solve the problem. The added rigidity of the orthotics, and maybe the improved support at the subtalar joint, help to prevent my foot and weight from angling medially enough during the gait cycle that I no longer have that issue in these 2 shoes. So the orthotics work, at least in terms of solving the problem I have. Do they have some sort of preventive benefit in terms of longer term injury risk? I have no idea. They don't feel like they provide any additional benefit in my other shoes that felt fine with their stock insoles. Orthotics are firm and structured, so they do make the underfoot feel of any shoe firmer. You have to take this into consideration. Even with the super soft Nike Invincibles, i like how the orthotics solved the hotspot issue for me, but there is the added "downside" of having a firmer, less pillowy underfoot sensation when running. 

It's now been about a month since i left Dr Leong's office. Two things I realized since then.

1) The orthotics are about 2mm thick, and not very compressible, at the forefoot. It is significantly thicker at the arch, and as it extends to the heel, i feel like there is just a little bit of stack differential there, with the heel being marginally thicker than the forefoot. 

Now, i didn't notice any change to the effective shoe drop before my visit with Dr Leong, but I sure did after, because, we added medial heel wedges. The wedges are canted (i.e. angled to one side, deliberately) to resist medial forces, and at the thickest section, it is 5mm thick. I would say that adds about 2-3mm at the midpoint and now you have an extra heel-toe drop differential of maybe 3-4mm, just from the orthotic alone. What does this mean? Well, it means that if your shoes have a native drop of say 10mm, and you put this Formthotic in there, you are looking at 13-14mm drop. Again, this mainly applies to me because I am a candidate for medial heel wedges. It is something to be aware of, because it does sort of affect the way your calves are loaded when you run.

2) The custom molding of the insole to my feet was done barefoot. If i have to do it again, i would have done it with the medium thickness socks that i normally run in. This is because if i use a thicker sock, my heel suddenly doesn't sit very well in the heel cavity. Again, something i noticed, and may be a good idea to bear in mind if you are planning to try these Formthotics. 

I don't plan to use Formthotics in all my shoes, but i do see a utility for them in shoes that are a little less stable, like the Zoom Invincible. (I tried to stack it on the glued-on insole of the Adidas Prime X but there just isn't enough volume in the upper to make it work). Be aware that the structured rigid arch of the Formthotics takes up significant volume, and they are unlikely to work with shoes that have a narrow last (platform) at mid-foot because it would put too much stress on the upper there. 

It's been a very informative experience, and the journey continues. We all know the trend toward high stack, and less stability is still going strong, and max stack, trainers are likely here to stay for a long time, and those are the ones i see an opportunity for Formthotics to come in.

You can find out more at FeetUp or visit their Instagram page: @feetupsg 

They also have an online store: Shopee FeetUp 

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