Suggestions for best footbed

[1xsculler]

I'm a first timer to try heat moldable liners.

[Eric Brammer aka PSR]

surefoot.com   

 

I had mentioned earlier Peterson footbeds, but Mr. Peterson passed away a few years back, so.. Well, these are somewhat similar.

 

Features I like here, though, are the plastic 'frame' of the footbed being fairly stiff, yet padded on the top with a memory foam, and under the heel being an easily milled/sanded stiff foam. They'll be a bit chillier than a cork bed, though, as plastic isn't the insulator cork is.

 

I had noted that in your case, you don't want to mold-up Thermofit liners while wearing  cork footbeds because of the possibility of crushing the cork. That doesn't mean that cork can't or shouldn't be used in a TF liner; you can always just wear a cheap 'filler' footbed in the mold-up process, then switch out to using cork beds later.

(btw, neither cork nor stiff plastics are good in softboots, not enough flex when walking)

[Beckmann AG]

^Not to put too fine a point on it, but the AMfit product is big on the Gee-whiz factor, and otherwise overrated.

The best footbed is one that fully matches the contours of your foot while accounting for any structural deficiencies.

Any footbed, (either 'Prêt-à-Porter' or custom) that doesn't hurt is probably better than nothing.

Edited April 4, 2016 by Beckmann AG

[bumpyride]

Granted I don't have foot problems, aside from being a little pigeon footed, but I've almost always molded my thermoflex liners without a footbed.  There's been 2 times when I have had a problem.  The first when I had a footbed in the liner.  Was just plain uncomfortable (which may have been the fit of the footbed in the first place).  The 2nd time is when I rocked back and forth a bit when I was molding the liner and a bump in my arch formed.  Now when I mold my liners, I'm sure to have a least 3 socks (fairly heavy) cut off to the ball of my foot and duct taped to my full sock and don't rock toe to heel while setting up.

 

An additional thought.  When I molded one pair the inner wrap seam fell right on my ankle bone, and while it didn't bother me skiing the seam pressed against my ankle bone while walking.  The solution was to cut the liner around the ankle and sew a blanket stitch to seal the liner back up again.  Works just fine. 

[Keenan]

I can't remember his name but he is the boot fitter at Crystal Mtn. who used to work for Sturtevants in Puyallup.  I would talk to him.  I'm sure if you call the demo shop at Crystal they can put you in contact with him.  I think he was the top boot man in the state when I moved away.