We love new products, trends and tips but ever wondered about wearing them in real life? Each week we’ll take on a test drive, from the newest nail colour, to playing with perfume or seeing how long that hairstyle actually takes and share what we find (sweet, not-so-sweet and everything in between).
The Inspiration: Hoping to avoid painful blisters and aching feet (without giving up our heels, of course), we’re giving our feet some preferential treatment and testing out ball of foot shoe inserts.
The test:
Tana Ball of Foot Smiling Feet, $6
Dr. Scholl’s For Her Ball of Foot Cushions, $8
Airplus Gel Ball of Foot Cushion, $8
Testers:
Samantha Speisman: I hate heels, and for good reason. What fun is a night (or day) out when your feet are in excruciating pain?
Mia Shulman: At 5’1, I’m no stranger to heels (the higher the better).
The results:
Tana
SS: These were okay, but definitely not my favourite. I liked that they were easy to place into my shoe and get to the desired position, but they weren't thick enough for me. My feeling is, if you're going to wear a heel insert, wear a heel insert! Wear something that is thick and cushions the ball of your foot enough that you get some sweet relief from those horrible heels.
MS: To be fair, I first tested these after wearing a painfully high pair of boots the night before, and my feet were less than thrilled to be thrust into yet another pair of heels (though the gel did have a nice cooling effect on my sore feet). I tested them a second time though, in a lower heel. Though thin, they were soft and flexible. I wasn’t crazy about the textured surface (after wearing them barefoot for over an hour, my skin felt a little sore) but I think they’d be great to slip into flats or a low heel for the day (with socks or nylons).
Dr. Scholls
SS: I love Dr. Scholls! I loved the thickness of the cushions. I typically buy my heels a little big to give my feet some wiggle room, so these actually worked perfectly. Because they are thicker, they made my shoe fit a bit more snug, which is exactly what I needed. I wouldn't call them miraculous (my feet still hurt) but they definitely made a difference.
MS: These were noticeably thicker than the others I tried and felt great. The “gel waves” felt a little funny at first, but they helped keep my foot in place and really molded to the ball of my foot for comfort. My only advice with these is to save them for a roomier shoe. With the added thickness of the insert, my heels fit a little tighter than usual.
AirPlus
SS: I thought these were very similar to the Dr. Scholls. Thickly cushioned, they also provided some relief (key word: some). These were the ones I was most excited to try, and they didn't disappoint. Any extra cushioning in my eyes is a bonus, and these definitely had the extra cushioning (and no weird ridges!)
MS: I found these inserts to be incredibly cushy and soft. Even just feeling them with my hands, I could tell they’d be comfortable. My only fault with this one is the sticky adhesive on the back. They stayed in place while wearing them, but after taking them out, my heels were a little sticky.
The Winners:
SS: I'd say for me, it was a tie between Dr. Scholls and the AirPlus cushions. Both added a noticeable amount of comfort to my heels. But, as Mia mentioned, be sure to only use these in heels where you have some extra room. Trying to put these in an already tight pair of heels will make your shoes more uncomfortable than they were before.
MS: For a long night out in seriously high heels, I’d pick Dr. Scholls. For everyday wear, Tana’s inserts worked well and were easy to slip in to my shoes and stayed in place for hours.
Thought that was sweet? You'll enjoy: