Over the last three years, I have managed to get through 4 pairs of goretex lined boots - Meind Softline Ultral (twice), Asolo Flame (twice) and am now using a pair Salomon Explorers.
The Meindls and Asolos all began leaking badly after less than 6 months with one of the pairs of Asolos leaking after only 4 weeks. At first, I put it down to bad luck that they all leaked but am now beginning to think that it could be something else - namely Superfeet Green which is a common factor to all four pairs. My current Salomons are OK after three weeks but I have not yet put the Superfeet into them and, as a consequence, do not find them as comfortable and my left foot in particular was sore for 5 days after only a six mile hilke (by sore, I mean what I think is metatarsalgia - an ache in the bottom of the foot where the middle three toes join the foot).
The Superfeet website makes mention of potential incompatibility with Goretex footwear but there is not much further information on the web and the people at Cotswold Outdoor (where I got all of the boots from) have never geard of any such issues. It would seem ridiculous that you cannot use Superfeet in goretex boots as I would have thought that that excluded a very large part of the Superfeet customer base.
I guess my question for you folks is really has anybody else had any trouble with boots leaking after using superfeet?
Happy to answer further questions or clarify anything above.
The only problem, I should think, would be if the superfeet were rubbing against the goretex somewhere and puncturing the membrane. Goretex boots are, IMHO, often prone to leaking as the waterproof layer is too close to the foot. If there was another lining inside the goretex, it would be better.
Your basic problem IMHO is that Goretex boots are a Work Of Stan and, while they do have a useful niche, are primarily dominant for marketing reasons rather than actually being any good.
Try some footwear without a liner. Costs less, dries quicker, breathes better.
Where is the leak? If it is under the rigid plastic heel of the Superfeet [sic], where there might be a possibility of abrasion or wear, then you have a strong argument, but if it is elsewhere then I can't see that you could blame the insole. But why did you buy boots that hurt your feet in the first place, and then try and fix the problem by spending even more money on Superfeet - you must be £500 poorer and still not have a footwear solution that works. Why not try bendier boots or, even better, really bendy shoes.
BTW, the ASA have ruled that Superfeets advertised claims are neither legal nor true - see here.
But why did you buy boots that hurt your feet in the first place, and then try and fix the problem by spending even more money on Superfeet
How do you know he did? I use Superfeet in some of my footwear. It works fine without them, to my feet slightly better with. So I didn't buy things that husrt to start with, and I tried to tune them rather than fix them. How do you know the OP didn't do likewise?
BTW, the ASA have ruled that Superfeets advertised claims are neither legal nor true
Whatever, I find I suffer less from over-pronation in light footwear using Superfeet. I don't bother with them in chunkier stuff, no over-prontaion problem in those.
have you had your feet professionally assessed peter? how do you know you have less over-pronation otherwise and it is this that is causing you problems? are superfeet the correct thing to use for any problem you have?
Peter I know that the O/P found his boots without Superfeet hurt his foot because he says so: "My current Salomons are OK after three weeks but I have not yet put the Superfeet into them and, as a consequence, do not find them as comfortable and my left foot in particular was sore for 5 days after only a six mile hilke (by sore, I mean what I think is metatarsalgia - an ache in the bottom of the foot where the middle three toes join the foot). "
I have no doubt you and the O/P experience the things you believe you experience. There is nonetheless no evidence acceptable to the scientific community or the ASA that Superfeet produce the benefits they claim, and, as the ASA judgment points out, some of their claims are actually illegal, in that they make medical claims for an unregstered product. To my certain knowledge three different Superfeet adverts have been banned for making such unproven claims.
Why not just buy footwear that doesn't hurt in the first place?
And if your condemnation of goretex' marketing has any validity, why not complain to the ASA and get their adverts banned, as I have done with Superfeet?
how do you know you have less over-pronation otherwise and it is this that is causing you problems?
Trainers and fell shoes with standard footbeds collapse inwards at the heels markedly, trainers and fell shoes with Superfeet don't.
And when I say "markedly" that's what I mean. My last pair of Walshes were almost 15 degrees to the horizontal at the back on the worst side before I despatched them to the bin.
And if your condemnation of goretex' marketing has any validity, why not complain to the ASA and get their adverts banned
It's not just Goretex's marketing, it's marketing in general and the principle of "The Large Print Giveth and the Small Print Taketh Away". It isn't what marketing says, it's what it implies that is where typical disingenuousness creeps in. As for Superfeet marketing, I'd agree absolutely they've over egged the pudding quite dramatically, but that doesn't mean it's a useless bit of snake oil.
Trainers and fell shoes with standard footbeds collapse inwards at the heels markedly, trainers and fell shoes with Superfeet don't.
What sweeping, utterly unqualified statements! Worthy of a marketing department! My Walshes don't collapse inwards at the heels. My trainers don't collapse inwards at the heels. Nor do millions of other peoples. And if they did, I would regard that as a a mismatch between my foot and the last of the trainers and look for more suitable footwear, rather than spend £35 on some (hot, sweaty, stiff) plastic inserts.
Thanks to all for the helpful (and not so helpful) comments.
Graeme: I think I agree with your conclusion that the Superfeet are rubbing the lining.
Peter: You might be right about buying non-Goretex boots. I am going to put the Superfeet in my Salomons and see if they sustain any damage and thus leak. If they do, non-Goretex is the next step.
Alovesupreme: The leaks were generally at the front sides hence the conclusion of wear on the lining. The Green Superfeet are smooth underneath whereas other models in the range have ridges. In addition, whether you are a medical professional or not, please do not presume to lecture me in that manner. As others mention, the Superfeet are to correct a particular issue that I have found with a lot of boots (and everyday shoes) that I have tried - I suffer from pronation and the Superfeet correct it. Whether you believe that or not, I think I am best qualified to make the judgement. Also, I am not £500 worse off - I bought the first pair of boots and the excellent people at Cotswold have provided replacement ever since.
I should still be interested to hear from anyone who has hit similar problems with a seeming incompatibility between Superfeet and Goretex.
but like with peter, are superfeet the proper remedy to use to correct what you describe as pronation? self diagnosing to treat a symptom for something which may not be the actual cause. what may your "pronantion" be disguising? is "correcting" it in this manner going to make something else far worse? if you have severe problems with boots/you feet instead of buying more boots spend the money and see a professional and get professionally diagnosed. it may be your back or hip or knee that is causing the pronation as your foot compensates for weight distribution and balance.
but in the superfeet. they will rub the lining and it's probably them that cause the leaks. trim them to be slightly smaller than the footbed.
I would say avoid any superfeet and that don't have a smooth sole, I've seen stitching in shoes damaged by the protrusions on black superfeet so I would think that they won't do a waterproof lining any favours either.
4 pairs of GTX boots in 3 years? Pretty much par for the course for waterproof linings IME, with regular use they wear out quick anyway.
It all comes down to what wears out what, doesn't it?
I've had boots that have rubbed holes in my socks... socks that have rubbed holes in my boots... socks that have worn holes in my insoles... insoles that have rubbed holes in my boots... but by 'eck... I REALLY gip about anything that wears holes in my FEET!
It's in the nature of things that NOTHING lasts forever and SOMETHING has to wear out. Rigid plastic on Superfeet versus flimsy Gore-tex lining... I think I can figure that one out! I like Superfeet and I hate Gore-tex linings, so naturally, it's not an issue with me. In one sense, I LOVE Gore-tex linings, simply because I reject outright anything containing them, so I find that when I'm browsing for footwear, choices are simplified because I just don't have to look at 90% of the stuff on the shelves! The remaining 10% are easily sorted!
I have to say that I asked in Cotswold for some non-Goretex (or similar) but still waterproof boots but thay didn't stock any! Do you have any recommendations from your 'remaining 10%'? Oh, and I forgot to say in the previous post that I am also looking for something reasonably lightweight as well just to be awkward.
i think he was referring to his trainers and fell shoes, due to his pronation issues, rather than all trainers and fell shoes...
Give that Posh Totty a cigar! It wasn't a criticism of the footwear, simply the point that my particular gait tends to bugger them up. It buggers them up less with Superfeet on board as far as I can tell.
I would regard that as a a mismatch between my foot and the last of the trainers
So would I... but the problem is the Ideal Trainer (for me) doesn't exist. I use Saucony Grid Omnis for running and as a shoe built for over-pronators they work well... but the sole just doesn't have anything like the grip of a fell shoe and I only run off-road, so faced with the choice of a little over pronation or falling over when I tackle steep mud, I go for the over-pronation. I use Saucony Jazz at other times because the sole is somewhere between a fell shoe's and the Omnis', because it has to be a compromise between grip and motion control. For real mud I've come out of Walshes because they won't take an insole and the last pair did just capsize inside a year. I tried Inov8s for a while but they skinned my toes (plus they fell to bits, and then their warranty replacement fell to bits, so I eBayed their warranty replacement) and am now on New Balance with Superfeet. So far, so good.
ALS, you obviously have a major Bonnet-Bee when it comes to Superfeet, but I think you need to realise that dodgy marketing isn't necessarily all there is to them.
I spent a morning trying on boots in Aviemore, I have a pronation problem on my left foor that causes issues with my knee and on long days my hip. The Podiatrist in Aviemore (I forget the shop) made a custom footbed for me which partially fixed the problem, a return 2 weeks later to increase the amount of support cured it totally. I can now manage good distances with no discomfort, as an experimant I went back to the original footbeds on a 16km walk and ended the day with my knee wrapped in ice.
I also have wedges on my cycling cleats and custom footbeds in my ski boots. The ski boots took about 4 visits to get right, shaving 0.5mm off each visit till they found the sweet spot. (the French podiatrist with the low cut T shirt in no way agravated my problem).
