Aetrex Women's Premium Memory Foam Orthotics W/ Metatarsal Support

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 you've been on your feet a while.

If that isn't you, take the plain Premium Memory Foam instead. It's the same price and the same everything else. A met pad under a forefoot that didn't ask for one is noticeable, and not in a good way.

Aetrex build this one for medium to high arches, with a cupped rearfoot. If your arches are low or you roll inward when you walk, you want the posted version 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, send it back and we'll swap it.

Usually, with one condition: take the shoe's own insole out first. These are a quarter of an inch thick, and stacking them on a factory insole is what makes a shoe feel suddenly too tight.

They won't work in a shoe with a glued-in footbed or no depth to spare, which rules out a lot of dress flats and most sandals. If you're not sure, tell us what you'd be putting them in and we'll tell you honestly.

Same quarter-inch thickness and the same Aetrex arch shape. The difference is what's inside and what it's for.

This one is the plush option: memory foam through the middle, an antimicrobial top cover, and Aetrex recommend it for everyday casual shoes and for people on their feet all day. The Active is firmer, with a moisture-wicking top cover, a cork-blended core and shock-absorbing Pro-Shox foam, built for walking shoes and sneakers. It also comes in a metatarsal version.

Standing all day, take this. Walking and training, take the Active.

Aetrex list plantar fasciitis, arch pain, heel pain and high instep among what this line helps with, and a supported arch with a cupped heel is the standard first thing to try.

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 they're designed to be worn straight out of the box with no break-in required, but that some people prefer a few hours a day at first and build up. We'd second that, and doubly so with a metatarsal pad, which takes most people a few days to stop noticing.

On lifespan, Aetrex recommend replacing them every six to nine months depending on how much you're on your feet.

Yes. Aetrex state that all their orthotics are eligible for purchase with HSA, FSA or HRA funds, and orthotics are one of the clearer cases for it.

If your plan wants documentation, call us at (704) 846-0301 and we'll get you an itemized receipt with everything an administrator normally asks for.

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.