I arrived at the Doctors office and was taken to the "orthotics room". The room had a typical examination room bed, a wooden "stand" with a foam base that had the heels and sides of two feet drawn on it and a bench with an industrial style grinder and a toaster oven (with a door) which looked something like this one.
Dr Foreman had asked me to bring my old orthotics and my new running shoes. He had looked at my old orthotics during my previous visit and noted that the wear pattern suggested I could benefit from some additional support along the inside of my foot from the arch to the big toe, so having the orthotic would make the process easier for him.
Dr Foreman arrived and asked what size my shoes were (a US size 9) and he then set about cutting the cushioned material that would make up the top of my orthotics to the right size.
Once the cushioned material was cut to the right size, he warmed it up in the oven and placed both pieces on the foam base of the stand in line with the feet markings and then had me stand on them (it didn't feel hot, just a little warm). This was the same process that I had been through with my other orthotics, so I knew that once the material was warm, it could be molded to fit my feet and when it cooled, it would retain the shape. I stood on the stand for probably 5 minutes and when I stepped off, the cushioned material had been molded to fit my feet.
Dr Foreman then went to his cupboard and pulled out what looked like two molded three-quarter foot length cups, one for a right foot and one for a left foot. These cups came in all different sizes, and Dr Foreman used the molded cushioned material to find the best match for my arch size and position. They look something like the ones shown here.
Dr Foreman then applied a smelly glue to the bottom of the cushioned material and the top of the cup for both feet and then left the room.
About 10 minutes later, Dr Foreman's assistant came in and she then attached the cushioned material to the cups and used the grinder to "make them look pretty".
About another 10 minutes later, Dr Foreman returned and glued a strip of cushioning to the underside of the newly made orthotics (to address the area along the inside of my foot near the big toe) and used the grinder to finish the edges.
With the process of constructing my custom orthotics complete, it was time to put them in my running shoes and try them out. I immediately noticed how much more cushioned the new orthotics were compared to my old ones, and also how my arch was supported (it felt like my foot was being pushed up from under the arch. I did some walking around the office, and was happy to report that I didn't feel any areas of discomfort or rubbing (which isn't a surprise given that the material is a cushioned material instead of a sturdy rubber like I had before).
I kept my running shoes on and left the office to head home, eager to try out my new shoes on the greenway!
Here are some photos of my old Acor Sports orthotics... in this first photo you can see the arch support sticking up from the right side. You can also see that the sides are hard and if you look closely, you can see where I have had to chop pieces off that have been rubbing against my feet and giving me blisters.
The photo below shows the underside of the Acor orthotic. The material is a hard rubber that was molded to my feet in the running store.
The photo below shows the top of the Acor orthotic. You can see that I have worn the upper material down in the heel and along the ball of my foot. This material provided no cushioning at all.
The photo below shows the side view of the Acor orthotic from the inside (arch nearest). It took me months of blisters and chopping to fit this hard rubbery material to my feet properly.
Now, here are some photos of my new orthitics...
This first photo shows the larger arch support. It is higher than the Acor's and starts in the middle of my foot.
The photo below shows how the cushioned material is easy bent. It also shows that the three-quarter cup doesn't bend at all.
The photo below shows the underside view of the new orthotic. You can see the where the cup meets the cushioned material around the ball of the foot area. You can also see the strip of additional support that I now have along the inside of my foot.
The photo below shows the a view of the top side of the new orthotic and the cushioned material.
I took my new orthotics out for a quick 1.25 mile run on Friday and they felt great! Hopefully, I will slowly be able to increase my mileage and pace back up to my pre-injury levels, whilst also working to strengthen my feet and eventually get away from orthotics all together... but I am happy to get back to running with them for now!
Looks amazing!!!! /I look forward to your feedback /thanks for this man it was very helpful.
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