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

Paul Henderson
Clinically Screened by Paul Henderson, C.Ped
4.8 (90+ Google reviews)
$79.95

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FSA/HSA Eligible
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In stock · Ships within 1 business day from Matthews, NC
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Paul Henderson
Paul's Note

"This is the flat-foot one, and it's the only orthotic here with a wedge under the heel. Right for a collapsed arch, wrong for everyone else. Please get measured before you buy this one rather than after."

Paul Henderson, C.Ped
Pedorthists recommend replacing orthotics every 6 months. Choose Subscribe & Save above and a fresh pair ships automatically, with 10% off every order.

Finding Your Fit

Size

  • Order your usual US shoe size. Comfort styles run true to size.
  • Between sizes, or wearing thicker socks? Choose the half size up.

Width

  • Medium (D): the standard width.
  • Wide (2E): more room in the forefoot. Pick this if your toes feel squeezed in regular shoes.
  • X-Wide (4E): the most room. Best for swelling, braces, or thick diabetic socks.

Wearing custom orthotics?

Order your usual size. The extra depth and removable insole leave room for most orthotics.

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Women's Premium Memory Foam Posted Orthotics W/ Metatarsal Support
$79.95

Quick facts

Specs published by Aetrex

Arch
Low to flat

The only one of the five we stock built for a collapsed arch rather than a normal one.

Rearfoot
Posted

A wedge under the heel, which Aetrex say controls overpronation and provides balance.

Forefoot
Met pad

A raised dome behind the ball of the foot, to spread load off the metatarsal heads.

Sizing
Whole sizes

Order your normal shoe size. If you're a half size, go up. Not trim-to-fit.

How we work out whether this is your orthotic

This is the flat-foot one. Of the five Aetrex orthotics we stock, it's the only one with a post under the heel, and that makes it the wrong choice for most people and exactly right for some. Which of those you are is a measurement, not an opinion.

39.5% less foot pain in Aetrex's clinical study of this orthotic lineAetrex's own published figure for Premium Memory Foam, from a study by Dr. George Ampat in Liverpool, England. We have not independently verified it.

We measure your arch. We don't guess it.

There's an Aetrex Albert 3D scanner in our Matthews store. You stand on it in bare feet for about twenty seconds and it measures both feet separately, to within a millimeter: length, width, girth, instep height and arch height.

This is the orthotic where that matters most. Everything else we stock is built for a normal or high arch. This one is built for a low or collapsed one, and putting a posted orthotic under a high arch is as wrong as the other way around. Twenty seconds on the scanner tells us which side of that line you're on.

The scan is free and you're under no obligation to buy anything from it.

The wedge under the heel is the whole point

The wedge under the heel is the whole point

Look at the back of it side on and you can see the post: a wedge built into the rearfoot. Aetrex describe it as controlling overpronation and providing balance.

In plain terms, if your ankle rolls inward as your foot loads, the post meets the inside edge of your heel sooner and slows that roll down. Cushioning can't do that. Only geometry can.

And a dome behind the ball of your foot

And a dome behind the ball of your foot

That raised bump is the metatarsal pad. Aetrex describe it as redistributing weight to relieve ball-of-foot discomfort. It sits just behind the metatarsal heads rather than under them, which is why placement matters more than softness.

Flat feet and forefoot pain travel together often enough that Aetrex build this combination as one product.

It has to fit the shoe, not just the foot

It has to fit the shoe, not just the foot

A quarter of an inch isn't much until you stack it on the insole already in your shoe. Take that one out first. If a shoe has a glued-in footbed or no depth to spare, this won't go in, and that's worth checking before you order.

  • HSA and FSA eligible
  • Free 3D foot scan in store
  • Fitted by our pedorthist

Material names, thickness, arch classification and the clinical percentages are published by Aetrex and quoted here as the manufacturer's claims. An over-the-counter orthotic is not a custom device and is not a treatment for any medical condition. If you have diabetes, neuropathy, or a diagnosed foot condition you are being treated for, talk to us or to your doctor before changing what is in your shoes.

Shoes with the room to take these

An orthotic only works in a shoe deep enough to hold it. These are pairs we've checked will take a quarter inch once their own insole comes out.

Free 3D foot scan at our Matthews, NC store • free, takes twenty seconds, no obligation
4.8 90+ Google reviews

What people say about being fitted here

These are reviews of our Matthews, NC store, not of this orthotic. We'd rather show you real reviews of the fitting than invented reviews of the product.

Read all of them on Google →
  • The staff is friendly, knowledgeable and extremely helpful. The staff have helped me find shoes to alleviate my plantar fascitias pain.

    Ellie HydenGoogle review
  • I am learning to walk again & heal after a procedure to my spine. Thanks to Jim I am able to stand up straight without pain!!!

    Hope ClaryGoogle review
  • Excellent service! Pam was very helpful and informative as she guided me through the process.

    Mike GriffinGoogle review
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Posting, flat feet, the metatarsal pad, sizing, and how to get scanned.

What does posted mean, and do I need it?

A post is a wedge built into the rearfoot. Aetrex say it controls overpronation and provides balance. If your ankle rolls inward as you load the foot, the post meets the inside edge of your heel sooner and slows that roll.

You need it if you have low arches or flat feet and you roll in. You don't need it if your arch is normal or high, and a post under a high arch will feel like standing on something tilted. This is the one to get measured for rather than guess at.

How do I know if my arches are actually low?

The wet-footprint test on a paper bag will tell you roughly. A near-solid print with little or no inward curve suggests a low arch. It's crude, though, and plenty of people are surprised.

The scanner measures arch height on each foot to within a millimeter and takes twenty seconds. It's free, and it's the difference between choosing this orthotic and choosing one of the other four for a reason.

Do I actually need the metatarsal pad?

This model comes with one, so it's built for flat feet and ball-of-foot pain together. The pattern that points to the pad 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.

If you have flat feet but no forefoot pain, call us at (704) 846-0301. Aetrex make a posted version without the pad and we can order it in.

What size should I order?

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.

Can I trim them to fit?

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 both the post and the metatarsal pad relative to your foot.

If the size is wrong, send it back within 60 days and we'll swap it.

Will these fit in my shoes?

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.

Will these help my plantar fasciitis?

Often, if the plantar fasciitis is coming from a flat foot that overpronates, which is one of the more common mechanisms. Controlling the roll takes some of the repeated stretch off the fascia.

But an over-the-counter orthotic can't 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.

Do they need breaking in, and how long do they last?

Aetrex say no break-in is required, but a posted orthotic is the one we'd most encourage you to ease into: a few hours a day for the first week, building up. You are changing how your foot loads, and that takes a little adjusting to.

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

Can I use FSA or HSA to pay?

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.

Can I get my feet scanned, or get advice by phone?

Yes to both, and of all five Aetrex orthotics we stock this is the one worth being measured for. 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.

Not sure what you need? We'll guide you.

Answer a few quick questions and get personalized shoe recommendations from our clinical team.

  • Takes 2 minutes
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