Aetrex Active with Met Pad

Only if you have pain in the ball of your foot. The pattern that points to it is burning or aching under the ball, the feeling of walking on a pebble, or numbness in the toes after a long walk or run.

If that isn't you, take the plain Active instead. Same orthotic, minus the pad. A met pad under a forefoot that didn't ask for one is noticeable, and not in a good way.

Same arch shape, same metatarsal pad, same quarter-inch thickness. The difference is the feel and the shoe you're putting it in.

Take this if you're covering ground: walking shoes, sneakers, hiking. Cork-blended core, Pro-Shox cushioning, a moisture-wicking top cover, and it returns faster underfoot.

Take the Premium Memory Foam version if you're standing still: retail, nursing, teaching, kitchens. Memory foam, antimicrobial top cover, built for everyday casual shoes.

This one is built for a medium arch with a cupped rearfoot. If your arches are low or you roll inward when you walk, you want a posted orthotic instead, which has a wedge under the heel to control that.

You can't tell your own arch height by looking. Come in and stand on the scanner for twenty seconds, or call (704) 846-0301 and describe where it hurts and what you do all day.

Your normal shoe size. Aetrex build these in whole sizes only, and there are no widths.

If you're a half size, go up rather than down. That's Aetrex's own instruction: a 9.5 takes the 10.

No. Aetrex publish no trim line and no trimming instructions for this style, so it isn't an insole you cut down. That matters more here than on a plain orthotic, because trimming would move the metatarsal pad relative to your foot.

If the size is wrong, return them unworn within 30 days.

Almost always, and this is the easiest line to fit. Take the shoe's own insole out first, then drop these in. Most sneakers and walking shoes have a removable insole and enough depth to take a quarter inch without changing how the shoe fits.

Where it gets tight is low-volume racing flats and some minimalist shoes. If that's what you're wearing, tell us and we'll tell you honestly.

A supported arch with a cupped heel is the standard first thing to try, and if your heel pain flares when you walk or run, a firmer insole in your athletic shoes is a sensible place to start.

What an over-the-counter orthotic can't do is replace a custom device made from a cast of your foot, and it isn't a treatment. If your heel pain is new, severe, or getting worse, get it looked at rather than buying an insole and hoping.

Aetrex say no break-in is required, but with a metatarsal pad we'd ease in anyway: a few hours a day for the first week. Most people stop noticing the pad within a few days, and going straight into your longest run of the week is the way to notice it a lot.

On lifespan, Aetrex recommend replacing them every six to nine months. Mileage counts, so a runner will be at the short end of that.

Yes to both. The scan is free, takes about twenty seconds, and you're under no obligation to buy anything from it. We're at 924 Park Center Dr, Ste 101, Matthews, NC 28105, open Monday to Friday 10 to 6 and Saturday 10 to 4.

Call (704) 846-0301 and you reach our fitting team, not a call center.