mycountryside.org.uk - exploring and enjoying the British countryside

Once my body had adjusted to the amount of walking I have started doing since Christmas, I can just about walk 20 miles or so without feeling too much discomfort in my limbs, muscles etc. The same cannot be said about my feet however - after 10 miles or so the heels and ball areas of my feet start to become uncomfortable, and after 15 miles complete agony.

So, after a bit of research on the internet (see this topic on the rambler forum, and this post on the Outdoor Scotland Blog), I decided to buy a pair of Sorbothane double strike replacement insoles.

These are cushioning footbeds, which replace your current insole. Here is the official description off the packet:

“Sorbothane is a unique visco-elastic material scientifically proven to continuously absorb a remarkable 94.7% of harmful shockwaves. It mimics the fleshy heel and ball areas of your feet therefore preventing damage…”

Yesterday I used them for the first time on a 15 mile walk - and the jury is still out as to whether they are going to solve my sore feet problem. There are several problems which clouded the issue:

1. The Sorbothane insoles take up more room in your boot - this means that parts of your feet are rubbing on different parts of the boot, leading to several blisters (I was lucky with my current Brasher boots as, until yesterday, I have never had a blister whilst wearing them!)
2. The Sorbothane insoles seemed to subtly change how my body walks - not in a bad way, but the balance of forces on my muscles, tendons etc. were different - this meant new aches and pains!
3. For whatever reason, both me and the dogs, seemed to suffer more on this walk than usual.

In conclusion, I am not going to write off the Sorbothane insoles just yet - presumably my body will adjust and the new aches and pains will fade, and my feet will harden in the relevant places to stop the blisters. So I will keep with them, and I will report back in a week or so after further testing!

I also have my eye on another product on Sorbothane’s website, the Cush ‘n’ Step, which might also provide a low-cost solution to the problem of sore feet after long walks!