Insoles review

We compare Sole, Superfeet, Cadence, Spenco, SofSole insoles in terms of support, cushioning and comfort

By Chris Edwards
Foot profile - Narrow width with high arches.

As tennis players we need to take care of our feet.

Our feet get us to that next shot. We can do all the footwork drills in the world, but if our feet are hurting from a lack of support or cushioning we'll likely come up short when sprinting for that tough to reach ball.

Most often the stock insoles in shoes are thin and offer little in the way of cushioning or support.

But don't fret. Help is at hand. With the right set of performance insoles installed in our shoes we can add support, comfort and even improve fit.

Sole Prime Softec Response Custom Insole

If you are looking for an insole with lots of support the Sole Prime Softec Response makes a great choice. Designed to be customizable, you can place the insoles into the oven, heat them up then stand on them to mold them to the shape of your feet. I tried this but didn't notice much of a difference to how the insoles felt right out of the box. However, I did find them to mold to the shape of my feet after continued use. The ride is firm, and the support is excellent. The insole is stiff enough that it is very easy to slide into a pair of shoes, and it doesn't bunch up like softer insoles. I could feel lots of support under my high arches, and it took me awhile to feel totally comfortable with these insoles. I would definitely recommend walking around in them for a couple of days to let your feet get used to the level of support before playing with them in your tennis shoes.

Superfeet

Superfeet insoles have long been my go-to choice. Excellent support and a great range of options means you can likely find the right insole with Superfeet. I have fairly high arches and go with the Green insoles designed for medium to high arch feet, but I've also found a great fit from the Carbon insoles. Both offer minimal forefoot cushioning, and I recommend trying the Orange insoles if you prefer a more cushioned ride in the forefoot.

During my shoe testing here at TW I have relied on Superfeet insoles many times to get me through shoe reviews where the shoes did not fit my feet well or lacked the support I needed. I like the way Superfeet insoles add support without adding any bulk inside the shoes. I actually usually find a little more forefoot room with Superfeet insoles compared to stock insoles. I love the level of support from the Encapsulating Stabilizer System, and I've found the insoles to last a long time without a break down in support or comfort. I did not need to wear the Superfeet insoles casually before playing as I have been using them for a long time. However, if you are just getting into supportive insoles I would recommend getting used to these insoles with casual wear before hitting the courts.

Cadence Insoles

I'm a big fan of Cadence insoles for their level or arch support and cushioning. If you are looking for a blend of comfort and support, Cadence insoles are very tough to beat. The level of arch support is fairly pronounced, so as with the Sole Prime and Superfeet insoles I would recommend wearing the Cadence insoles casually for a few days before playing in them. Once my feet became accustomed to the fit and feel of the Cadence insoles I loved the support they offered. My feet felt very well protected, and I never felt any undue stress or strain to my heels or arches no matter what test shoes I put them in. The level of cushioning was also very impressive. However, the thicker cushioning does have me sitting up noticeably higher inside my shoes compared to the other insoles tested here. Most of the time the added height was a non-issue, but in a couple of pairs of shoes I felt too elevated inside the shoes to get a fully locked-in fit around my heels. With that said, they've worked well in the majority of tennis shoes I've tried them in, and they are currently my favorite insoles to put inside my running shoes.

Spenco Total Support Insoles

Those looking for additional comfort and slightly more support over a stock insole will enjoy the ride the Spenco Total Support insoles provide. I was impressed by the level of cushioning these insoles added to my shoes. They do weigh more than a stock insole, but I felt the cushioning and slightly improved support was worth the added weight. I found I could immediately play with these insoles in my shoes, and I don't feel the need to recommend wearing them casually before play as I do with the more supportive insoles from Superfeet, Sole and Cadence. With the softer construction I found them to take a little more care when putting them into my shoes because they tended to bunch up in the forefoot.

SofSole Airr Orthotic Insoles

I found a somewhat similar fit and feel with the SofSole Airr Orthotic insoles as I did with the Spencos. I liked the added cushioning and found I could play in them right away. Comfort was the most noticeable improvement with these in my shoes. There was some added support, but as with the Spencos the support was a long way off that offered by Superfeet, Sole and Cadence. The upside was there was no discomfort of having my feet get used to the insoles. I liked the little gel bubble at the heel. It felt odd the first time I put weight on the insoles, but I soon got used to the feel and started to really enjoy the comfortable ride of these insoles. These insoles also featured a softer construction that took a little more care when putting them into my shoes to prevent them from bunching up in the forefoot.

	Cushioning	Maxiumum Support	Light Support	Comfort	Break-in
Sole Prime Softec Response		✓			✓
Superfeet Carbon/Green		✓			✓
Superfeet Orange	✓	✓			✓
Cadence	✓	✓			✓
Spenco Total Support	✓		✓	✓
SofSole Airr Orthotic	✓		✓	✓

We hope this review gives you some insight into which insoles will work best for you. For maximum support I would recommend the Superfeet and Sole insoles. For a blend of maximum support and cushioning I'd recommend the Cadence insoles. The Superfeet Orange and Sole Prime Softec Ultra are also designed to offer more cushioning. For a comfortable ride with some added support over stock insoles the Spenco and SofSole Airr insoles make great choices. While they lack the rigidity of the more supportive offerings, they offer instant comfort and don't require any break in time.