Insoles are entirely helpful in providing comfort when you use shoes, which also contributes to avoiding possible body aches. Aside from that, insoles help you to maintain healthy feet which are important as we continue our lives and our journey. However, some of us may find inconvenience in getting insoles because we don’t know exactly our sizes, or perhaps the size of our insoles is not available at shoe stores or departments. If you can’t buy it, why not make your own? Now here are the easy steps on how to make cheap insoles t home.
1. Do-It-Yourself Insoles
If you’re thinking of something useful to do, something you’ll need daily and is indeed important to you, you can start making your own insoles.
Often when you have an unusual size of the foot, you’ll have a hard time finding an insole that fits you. You will feel the discomfort because your feet is not appropriately supported. Having large feet is one factor that gives difficulty to anyone who is finding insoles.
Usually, in department stores, the sizes run only up to Size 13, but then some people in the United States have size 16. When you still insist on using an unfitted insole for your shoe, there could be sharp edges, especially on the toe that may hurt your feet. To address this instead, you can make your insole inserts in whatever size you want with materials that are cheap and available. It’s sure to work, so give it a try.
This project doesn’t need much for materials; you can keep it simple with the basic materials you’ll need like cushion mats and a type of knife to cut it.
When choosing your cushion mats, it’s preferable to use puzzle-styled mats which you can find at Harbor Freight. For $10, you can already buy four packs, and you can make as much as you like. For cutting, you can use a rotary tool for a better and cleaner cut of mats, this is obviously easier than using a knife that leaves your edges, but the knife’s useful for following the shape.
2. Customized Gel Fitted Insoles
Here are the steps of making a fitted gel insole that could cost 20 bucks than orthotics that costs up to 300 dollars. This type of insole is designed for different feet.
You’ll need the following:
- A pair of socks
- Silicone Sealing (2 tubes); Three tubes cost $10 at the hardware store; you’ll need more if your feet size is more than 9 1/2
- 1 bottle of Glycerine (small); A single small bottle can do 3-4 pairs; buy this at the pharmacy for just $5
- Caulk gun; Only $5 from a Hardware Store
- Cardboard box
- 1 Stir stick or used spatula
In this process, your both hands and feet might get sticky. While you’ll do the caulking, later on, the smell could be as high as vinegar, but it’s non-toxic. Better move to a more aired spot while doing this.
Step 1
Get on a piece of cardboard and squeeze out one tube of silicone sealing unto it. A tube is enough for one insole only. In case you have more than 9 ½ foot-size, you’ll need another half of a tube of silicone caulking.
Step 2
When the silicone caulking is ready, mix five (5) drops of glycerine in every once. Make sure to add it since; it will give moisture to mold the silicone, the surface may not be firm and dry immediately especially in the middle if you fail to do so. Mix the two with a spatula.
Tip:
The drying time may be quicker if you’re in a warm spot; it usually it takes 20 mins before it’ll start to dry.
3. Cardboard Insole
- Get your old shoe, and take out its insole. Remove any dust or dirt that’s inside.
- Prepare your cardboard and put the old insole over it. Your cardboard must be thick and somewhat cushioned like old cartons. Using old boxes is better.
- Trace the shape of your insole using a pencil. After doing it, run through the shoe outline again using a marker. This is to emphasize the form and be visible enough.
- Cut out the insole design. Use scissors that are sharp enough to cut cardboard quickly.
- Cut the traced insole shape. Cut the cardboard with sharp scissors, be careful to cut to avoid cuts.
- Repeat the step above. Create two insoles for each shoe; it will extend the life of both insoles by allowing you to air one and then insert the other.
Do the same thing for another insole. Repeat the whole steps for making another one for you to have extra that can be used while you don’t use the other and vice versa. This will make your insoles last long.
4. Insoles from Yoga Mats
- Get your unused yoga or exercise mat and trace your shoe over in the smooth area. If you don’t have any of these mats, you can look for them in a store that throws them away.
- After tracing cut out immediately the design you have.
- Turn the cut insole over. Trace the insole again for the other foot. Cut it out, and there you have it, left and light insoles.
- Repeat the earlier steps at least four times, both left and right. Now, you will have a total of five cut-out insoles on your both foot.
- Pile out the cut insoles of each right and left foot. Be sure to face up the textured side.
- With the hot glue gun, paste together the four piled insoles. Glue each layer gradually, put some glue, and press it. Don’t try to stick them together in one layer because the glue might get dry immediately and will not hold the insoles together.
- Let it dry. You can now have your new insoles once they’re dry.
Conclusion
There are many ways how to make cheap insoles; you just have to be resourceful, especially in utilizing materials. Insoles can be made out of yoga mats, cardboard, silicone, and the like which are widely available and affordable. Following these steps and through innovations, you can save not just your feet, your time in searching for your fitted insole, but your money as well.
