What are orthotics?

Have you ever heard of orthotics? And what are the benefits of orthotics? To put it simply, orthotics are a medical speciality which involves creating and using devices known as orthoses. Once you have bought your Sole Bliss shoes, you can further enhance support by inserting them into your shoes to help with movement and pain relief. In this guide, we will discuss the benefits of orthotics, including foot and ankle orthotics, and what do orthotics do. 

Usually, foot and ankle orthotics are custom made, created by experts to match your foot structure by lifting, cushioning, cupping and correcting specific biomechanical issues. They can be made from leather, cork, plastic and can even be 3D printed! 

Most importantly though, orthotics are invaluable to those who use them, helping people to transform the daily lives of more than 1,200,000 orthotic users across the UK.

Are orthotics just a fancy term for an insole?

Absolutely not! Orthotics must be supplied and fitted by suitably trained medical professionals, including a full musculoskeletal assessment by your podiatrist.

What is the purpose of orthotics and why do we need them?

What do orthotics do, we hear you ask. There are many benefits of orthotics. Wearing orthotics can be helpful for a variety of foot conditions including flat feet, high arches, plantar fasciitis (a common condition where the plantar fascia, the thick band of tissue running across the bottom of your foot, becomes inflamed), bunions, and overpronation.

Orthotics can also help with pain in your heel, knee, hip, or back that may be related to foot alignment issues. They do this by helping you to distribute your weight evenly across your feet, easing pressure in those pesky sensitive areas.

However, as stated above, they are so much more than an insole, and more than simply supporting your arches.

They are a long term investment, designed for durability and are built to last and withstand daily wear, making them a reliable solution for ongoing foot support and alignment needs. What’s more, their durability ensures they remain effective over time, providing consistent relief and protection.

Orthotics can also be an important part of wider healthcare strategies and are often used with physical therapy plans and other treatments created to address specific medical conditions or injuries. Some may call them a super tool, and we agree!

Benefits of orthotics

We’ve briefly touched on the benefits of orthotics but let’s break it down a little further for you. Here are the main orthotics benefits:

- Help provide superior comfort

- Discreet support

- Assist foot, ankle and leg pain

- Improve balance

- Helps absorb shock

- Lowers risk of injury

Help provide superior comfort: Orthotics are bespoke, so that means they are made to fit the contours of your feet precisely, providing a level of comfort that generic insoles can't match.

They help to evenly distribute pressure across your feet, reducing areas of excessive stress during walking or standing. This first class comfort provided by custom orthotics can be especially beneficial for those living with plantar fasciitis, flat feet and arthritis in the feet or ankles. They also support those with diabetic neuropathy (a type of nerve damage that can occur in people with diabetes) or people who are experiencing general foot fatigue or discomfort from prolonged standing or walking.

Discreet support: Worried that investing in orthotics might compromise your style? Let us help to put your mind at ease! They can be customised to fit into all types of footwear discreetly, from high heels to sneakers you can enjoy the necessary support without altering the appearance of your favorite shoes.

Assist foot, ankle and leg pain: Living with ankle, foot or leg pain? The benefit of investing in orthotics means that you can directly address the root cause of the discomfort, offering a long term solution rather than just temporary relief.

The orthotics support this by correcting the alignment and biomechanics of the lower limbs, redistributing pressure away from painful areas and correcting abnormal walking patterns that can lead to more pain and injury over time. This approach is great at minimising strain on muscles, tendons and joints, and is particularly helpful to those suffering from overpronation (where the foot rolls inward excessively), ankle instability (which can lead to frequent sprains), and plantar fasciitis. This is because proper support can alleviate strain on the plantar fascia.

Improve balance: If you are struggling with your balance, one of the benefits of orthotics is that they contribute to better stability. By aligning the foot alignment correctly, it improves the body’s ability to sense its position in space. That means a reduced risk of falls and improved overall mobility, which is music to our ears (or feet!)

Helps absorb shock: Fancy feeling like you’re walking on air? With orthotics you’re on your way there thanks to their shock absorbing materials that can compress and rebound with each step, reducing the impact felt by the feet, ankles and further up the body.

This is especially useful to those engaging in high-impact activities, like sports or a busy work shift on your feet. They help to reduce the stress on your feet and joints, minimising the impact on sensitive areas. Bliss!

Lowers risk of injury: We’ve mentioned before that orthotics are a great investment, but how much so? Well, by ensuring proper foot alignment and reducing abnormal strain on muscles and joints you can reduce the likelihood of stress fractures, tendonitis, and other musculoskeletal issues.

Orthotics can also help to evenly distribute pressure across the foot, preventing overloading in localised areas and reducing the risk of conditions like metatarsalgia (a condition characterised by pain and inflammation in the ball of the foot, often caused by overuse or high-impact activities) or bursitis (the inflammation of bursae, small fluid-filled sacs that cushion bones, tendons, and muscles near joints).

Sole Bliss’ Orthotic Shoes:

Sole Bliss shoes have been designed to cushion your feet and correct biomechanical foot issues. However if you are required to wear an orthotic insole, there is ample space to accommodate them in our widest styles. The insoles of our shoes are not removable but there is enough space to fit your orthotics too. Check out a few of our favorite styles below!

Hero: White Leather: The widest of our Miracle Sneakers, Hero is living up to its namesake! Handcrafted in Italy from super-soft leather, these fully lined sneakers feature our award-winning Comfort Technology, are podiatrist approved and comes with our ingenious Bunion Bed stretch panel as well as a 3cm shock-resistant platform sole. There is also plenty of room to insert your orthotics, making these the best sneakers for orthotics.

Palazzo: Silver Leather: Meet Palazzo - this roomy trainer also has a deep and wide toe-box which provides extra space for those needing to insert an orthotic. Our Palazzo Sneakers in silver leather will not only help you shine bright  but also enjoy the ultimate in comfort. Featuring three layers of underfoot cushioning and our ingenious Bunion Bed, these sneakers for orthotics will keep your sensitive soles cushioned and comfortable all day.

Mercy: Black Suede: Flattering, versatile and oh-so-chic, our popular Mercy features an elasticated topline which provides easy entry and ensures a secure and supportive fit for wider feet and those with a high instep. This is especially handy for those needing to insert an orthotic whilst keeping the shoe secure on your foot. Handcrafted in Spain, these stylish shoes also have a small memory foam pillow to counteract your foot rolling inward, three distinct layers of high quality, anti-bacterial, custom-cushioning memory foam and a wider toe box with a V-shaped top line eases foot crowding and disguises the appearance of bunions.

Savannah: Black Suede & Patent: These chic Mary-Janes are designed for comfort! Their strap provides extra support for those inserting an orthotic and their design is deep and spacious to accommodate an orthotic. Like all Sole Bliss shoes, Savannah features our award-winning Comfort Technology which cushions bunions, a spacious toe box which accommodates wider feet, and three layers of cushioning. Comfort, meet style!

You can browse our full collection of shoes for orthotics here: us.solebliss.com/collections/all