A good pair of supportive insoles can make a big difference in finding relief from metatarsalgia and ball-of-foot pain. By supporting your feet in the right way, you can take pressure off the metatarsal bones to aid recovery and prevent further injury.
But what are the best insoles for metatarsalgia?
In this post we’ll discuss why a supportive insole with a built-in metatarsal pad is the perfect shoe insert for ball of foot pain. We’ll also explain why SOLE with Met Pad footbeds are the best metatarsalgia insoles you can get.
Do insoles help metatarsalgia?
The short answer is yes, the right insole can be a big help with metatarsalgia. To understand how an insole can help, it’s important to understand what metatarsalgia is in the first place.
What is metatarsalgia?
Metatarsalgia is pain or swelling in the ball of the foot, or the forefoot. It can be a dull ache, or a sharp pain, usually in the fleshy pad behind your toes. It can also sometimes feel like you have a pebble in your shoe, and can be accompanied by numbness or tingling in your toes.
Metatarsalgia can have multiple causes, from inefficiencies in the way your foot moves, to overuse injuries from playing sports, to wearing tight shoes that cramp your metatarsal bones together.
In all these cases, the pain and swelling is associated with the metatarsal bones, or the point at which the metatarsal bones meet your biggest toe bones, the ‘metatarsal head’.
SOLE Met Pad footbeds come in three thicknesses, to fit any footwear.
Metatarsal pad insoles for metatarsalgia.
The best insoles for metatarsalgia should include a built-in metatarsal pad, or Met Pad. A metatarsal pad is a small bump that offers targeted support for the metatarsal bones. This support helps promote a healthy spread between the metatarsals and metatarsal heads.
You might not know it, but your foot has more than one arch. There’s the longitudinal arch that runs down the length of your foot, from heel to forefoot. Regular arch support in footwear is for the longitudinal arch (more on this soon).
Then there’s the transverse arch: this arch runs across the centre of your foot, almost like the hollow of your palm. A Met Pad supports this arch, ensuring that your bones are sitting in healthy spacing and alignment with your toes and the rest of your foot.
This helps to reduce pressure on the metatarsals, aiding in recovery and preventing further irritation. It also helps promote circulation, which helps with healing and also prevents numbness and tingling in the toes.
SOLE with Met Pad insoles feature a metatarsal pad that’s perfectly placed to offer targeted support for your metatarsals. Another reason that SOLE Met Pad footbeds are the best metatarsal product you can get, is that they combine traditional arch support with metatarsal support.
Will arch support help ball of foot pain?
The short answer is yes, arch support can greatly help with ball of foot pain and any metatarsalgia insole should feature arch support.
The foot’s longitudinal arch plays a crucial role in the healthy functioning of your foot as you stand and walk. A healthy arch helps keep your feet and ankles aligned, ensuring pressure is distributed evenly and efficiently as you take each step. It also helps to ensure energy is transferred efficiently through your foot, from heel to toe, as you walk.
An insole with arch support is an excellent choice for metatarsalgia because it supports the healthy functioning of your foot’s arch. This helps to prevent excess strain in the forefoot and metatarsals, which lead to pain in the ball of the foot.
SOLE footbeds feature industry-leading arch support that combines perfectly with the built-in metatarsal pad of Met Pad styles. What’s more, our footbeds custom mold to your unique feet, for optimal comfort.
Custom moldable shoe insoles for metatarsalgia.
SOLE footbeds all custom mold to your individual feet and arch height. Either slip them into your shoes, and they’ll mold to your feet over a few wears, or you can heat mold them in your own oven at home.
Once molded to your feet, our footbeds become even better at distributing pressure evenly across your feet with every step. This makes them the very best option for preventing excess pressure on the metatarsal heads that can lead to metatarsalgia.
The fact that our footbeds will custom mold to your arch height also makes them an excellent option for anyone with flat feet and metatarsalgia. Arch support insoles can be tricky to get used to if you have flat feet. The sensation of support can be uncomfortable or even painful.
By heat molding our footbeds, you can get underfoot comfort dialled in quickly, without compromising the benefits of the arch support offered.
Which SOLE insole is best for metatarsalgia?
As discussed, any of our footbeds with a built-in metatarsal pad are the best option for metatarsalgia. These footbeds all include the words ‘with Met Pad’ in the name. They come in three different thicknesses, to offer relief from metatarsalgia in any shoe.
The Active Thin with Met Pad is great for relief from metatarsalgia in tight-fitting footwear like ski boots, dress shoes, flats, skate shoes and others.
The Active Medium with Met Pad is the best insole for metatarsalgia in running shoes, tennis shoes, basketball shoes, sneakers and any other ‘regular fitting’ footwear.
The Active Thick with Met Pad has an extra thick layer of cushioning. It works best for metatarsalgia in work boots, winter boots, hiking boots and other footwear with some wiggle room to spare.